The Toronto Maple Leafs took another huge step forward by acquiring Brandon Carlo from division rival, the Boston Bruins in another significant trade deadline deal.
Toronto Maple Leafs fans had grown impatient with the apparent lack of action from team GM Brad Treliving. But then, news of the Scott Laughton trade dropped followed by the major acquisition of Brandon Carlo.
Carlo instantly upgrades the Leafs’ blue line, most likely landing on the top pairing with Morgan Reilly. With Carlo’s addition, the Leafs now hava a solid top-four, are harder to play against and can play OEL on the third pairing.
Most importantly, the Leafs’ addition of Carlo is a countermove to the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning’s moves this trade deadline season. The Leafs could meet one or both the Panthers and Lightning in the playoffs this season. As such, the Leafs stocked up on the type of blue liner they have needed for a long time.
Toronto Maple Leafs Solve Major Issue with Brandon Carlo Trade
This season, the Leafs have struggled to find a replacement for TJ Brodie who could work well with Rielly.. That will change with Carlo in the fold. Carlo’s presence allows the Leafs to roll with Rielly and Carlo on the top pair with Jack McCabe and Chris Tanev on the shutdown second pair.
Meanwhile, Oliver Ekman-Larsson returns to his natural place on the third pairing with either Simon Benoit or Phillippe Myers. Personally, Benoit would be a much better fit on the third pairing than Myers. For his part, Myers was a much better choice for a seventh defenseman than Connor Timmins.
Overall, the Leafs did what they had to do with this trade. Getting Carlo was a major issue the Leafs had to solve at this year’s trade deadline.
The final trade was somewhat complex due to the need for a third party involved in the deal. That third party was the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins got Conor Timmins and Connor Dewar from Toronto. Given former GM Kyle Dubas’ familiarity with Timmins and Dewar, it’s not a surprise he would jump on the deal.
As for Boston, they got the Leafs’ first-round pick in 2026 and Fraser Minten. I must admit that I wasn’t happy to hear Minten heading out of town. However, the ceiling on Minten isn’t quite as high as we’d like it to be.
If all goes well, Minten could be a solid middle-six center. That’s something the Leafs can replace in free agency. However, adding Carlo this year and for two more seasons is something the team can’t easily add.
All told, the Leafs get a solid grade on this deal as netting a top-pairing defenseman for two depth pieces, a mid-tier prospect, and a late first-rounder is hard to accomplish in this year’s seller’s market.
