The Toronto Maple Leafs' defensive struggles this season have brought to light a potential offseason deal involving defenseman Brandon Carlo. Despite their middling 8-7-1 record, the team's defensive performance has been far from satisfactory, conceding a concerning 60 goals in just 16 games, ranking them fourth-worst in the NHL.
According to team reporter James Mirtle, the Maple Leafs explored trading Carlo to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for winger JJ Peterka. Mirtle suggested that the Maple Leafs may now regret not making the trade. Ultimately, Peterka was traded to the Utah Mammoth for Josh Doan and Michael Kesselring.
Carlo, now 28, was acquired by Toronto from the Boston Bruins in March in exchange for Fraser Minten and two draft picks. He still has two years remaining on his six-year, $24.6 million contract extension signed in 2021 with Boston. While his statistics this season are acceptable, with two assists and a +2 rating in 16 games, his on-ice performance has been less than stellar. Carlo has shown difficulty handling the puck and has been prone to turnovers.
Mirtle noted the team needs more puck-moving defensemen. He added that Carlo has not performed up to expectations and has not meshed well with Morgan Reilly.
The Maple Leafs' initial interest in acquiring a top-six forward stemmed from the departure of Mitch Marner. With limited assets available, the team considered leveraging Carlo's value to acquire a significant offensive piece. At the time, Carlo was seen as a valuable trade chip due to his experience, size, defensive abilities, and reasonable $3.4 million AAV contract.
However, Carlo also possesses an eight-team no-trade clause, giving him some control over his destination. Despite not actively seeking to trade Carlo, General Manager Brad Treliving was open to possibilities to improve the team following Marner's departure.
Other trade rumors involving the Maple Leafs include attempts to find a new team for David Kampf and explorations into trading Nick Robertson for a comparable player. There was also speculation about trading defenseman Justin Faulk from the St. Louis Blues to improve the Maple Leafs' blueline.
