By: Matthew Lemear | Follow me on X @Mlemear331
According to a post on X this morning from Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff, who’s also a TSN contributor, the Calgary Flames have been in contact with the Boston Bruins regarding Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo.
Di Marco had no specific details that have been discussed yet; the Flames have merely expressed their interest in the 6’5″ defenseman. Additionally, Di Marco suggests that most of Boston’s players could be available for the right price.
A trade of a player such as Brandon Carlo would undoubtedly be a culture shock for the fanbase; however, sometimes, hard decisions need to be made to contribute to the future success of a franchise. Despite that reality, seeing a fan favorite get shipped out of town will never hurt any less. Brandon Carlo has spent his entire nine-year career in Boston and often dons the ‘A’ as an Assistant Captain when one of the primary leaders is out of the lineup.
Brandon Carlo, a native of Colorado, is the Bruins’ third-longest tenured player, following only Captain Brad Marchand and Assistant Captain David Pastrnak. Boston selected Carlo in the second round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft at 37th overall, a pick the Bruins received in the Johnny Boychuck trade with the New York Islanders. He made his National Hockey League debut in 2016 and has been a lineup mainstay ever since.
Acquiring a player like Brandon Carlo would make a lot of sense for the Flames. At 6’5 “and 216 lbs, Carlo would add some much-needed size to Calgary’s D-core and bring his defensive-first style of play, which he is best known for. Carlo currently leads the Bruins with 117 shots blocked on the season and has a +/—rating of +3.
Offensively, Carlo has nine points on the season. However, no team is interested in him for his offensive production; teams would be looking to acquire the Brandon Carlo, who has been a reliable defensive asset to the Bruins throughout his career. Teams understand how valuable a big, successful, stay-at-home defenseman can be, especially when he can be complemented by offensive-minded defensemen like Calgary has in MacKenzie Weegar and Rasmus Anderson.
In addition to strong defensive play, Carlo brings a large amount of playoff experience (72 games), as the Bruins have been a playoff team in seven of his nine seasons in Boston. Not only does Carlo boast the playoff experience, but he often elevates his play during the playoffs. Carlo will also provide experience on the penalty kill, an asset many teams would love to be able to acquire.
When looking at the contract and financials of a Carlo trade, he remains under team control for the next two seasons, which would be highly enticing to a team looking to acquire him. In addition to two more seasons of team control, Carlo comes with a reasonable annual cap hit of $4.1 million.
The potentially unfortunate part of this situation, if the Bruins receive a suitable offer, is that Carlo has a ten-team no-movement clause, and it is unknown which teams are on that list. If Calgary is indeed on Carlo’s list, Bruins management would need to approach him and ask him to waive his NMC. We all know how dramatic that can be after experiencing the Linus Ullmark situation at the last trade deadline.
With Carlo being such a vital part of the Bruins’ roster, what would a potential return look like in a trade involving the defenseman? It is important to consider the impact of the recent Seth Jones (1st round pick as part of return) and Ryan Lindgren (2nd round pick as part of return) trades, which have increased the value of a player like Carlo. Although Jones has more offensive production than Carlo, Carlo’s defensive contributions cannot be overlooked.
Jones currently has 18 more points than Carlo, but Carlo has recorded 34 more blocked shots and a +3 rating compared to Jones’ -18. Lindgren boasts similar numbers to Jones but is also significantly behind Carlo in blocked shots. As Scott McLaughlin pointed out on his X page, Lindgren had struggled while on the Rangers, and his contract expires at the end of the season. Comparing a Carlo trade, it would be reasonable to expect at least second and third-round picks or a prospect to be involved in returning to Boston.
If the Bruins were to receive a prospect from Calgary, one notable name is 22-year-old defenseman Jérémie Poirier. Poirier has spent the last three seasons with the Flames’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers. During this time, he has accumulated 83 points, 113 penalty minutes, and a -12 rating. Although he is not as defensively minded as Carlo, Poirier could add an offensive dimension from the blue line, complementing Mason Lohrei and Charlie McAvoy’s play. The Bruins also have fewer NHL-ready defensive prospects than forward prospects, so it would make sense to try and obtain a defensive prospect in return.
If a Carlo trade were to result in draft picks in return, Calgary owns two first-round picks in this year’s entry draft, along with one pick each in the second and third rounds. Combining some of these high-draft picks or packaging them with a prospect like Poirier could also provide a valuable return for Carlo and support the Bruins if they pursue a complete or modified rebuild. For those thinking that such a return is expecting too much, look at what a struggling player with an expiring contract and a player with a non-team-friendly contract garnered in return.
By all accounts, the Bruins are not actively shopping Brandon Carlo and would be just as well off holding onto him as trading him. However, it would be irresponsible not to at least entertain offers for the big defenseman because as the deadline approaches, teams may become more desperate and might just make an offer the Bruins cannot refuse.
Regardless of what transpires leading up to and on deadline day, if Brandon Carlo does get moved, he will be fondly remembered in Boston. As mentioned earlier, Carlo has been a mainstay on the roster since breaking into the league in 2016. He has been a solid member of the defensive group and a locker room leader. More than that, though, Brandon Carlo has given Bruins fans many exciting moments to remember and celebrate and has risen to the occasion when needed.
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