Stars coach Jim Montgomery eyed a return after Christmas, adding another healthy piece to a once-ravaged Dallas defense corps.
Carrick, acquired from the Maple Leafs before the regular season for a conditional seventh-round draft pick, has played in nine games for the Stars, with one goal and three assists.
Originally picked up to help offset the youth among the Dallas defensemen, Carrick figures to occupy a bottom-four role and battle Gavin Bayreuther, Roman Polak and Julius Honka for minutes upon his return.
Dallas' 23-man roster is currently full, meaning a return on Dec. 29 against Detroit could be possible, though neither Montgomery nor Carrick threw out a firm date.
For the last seven-plus weeks, though Carrick's hockey life was interrupted, he was given a chance to adjust to the Dallas area.
After Carrick's return, Marc Methot (knee) and Stephen Johns (post-traumatic headaches) would be the only Stars left on injured reserve.
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