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Maple Leafs’ Brandon Carlo was Shopped for Star Winger in Offseason Trade Talks
Uncover the situation surrounding a near-Brandon Carlo trade as the Maple Leafs face challenges in their defensive lineup.
Nobody is happy in Toronto Maple Leafs land right now, despite their not-so-bad 8-7-1 record to begin the season. What’s been a defensively sound team in recent years has been far from that thus far in 2025-26, having already surrendered 60 goals against in just 16 games, the fourth most of any team in the NHL.
Brad Treliving and company decided to run back the same six defensemen that they ended last season with, and that doesn’t appear to be paying off, though it sounds as if the Maple Leafs general manager was indeed willing to shake things up on the blue line in the offseason.
According to team reporter James Mirtle, Toronto attempted to move Brandon Carlo to the Buffalo Sabres in a deal for JJ Peterka.
“I think there’s buyer’s remorse for the Leafs with Carlo in the organization. And it’s telling that when they were looking at trading for a top-line winger, they were looking at moving him. And in hindsight, they were looking at moving Carlo in a deal for Peterka with Buffalo, and he would have been the Kesselring piece that Buffalo ended up getting, the big right-shot defenseman. And in hindsight, that would have worked out pretty well,” Mirtle said.
The 23-year-old, Peterka, was ultimately dealt to the Utah Mammoth in exchange for Josh Doan and the aforementioned Michael Kesselring.
Carlo, 28, on the other hand, has two years remaining on the six-year, $24.6 million extension he originally signed with the Boston Bruins in 2021.
Brandon Carlo Has Been Struggling
While the numbers aren’t all that bad, the eye test has certainly suggested that Carlo has struggled early on in 2025-26.
Two points (two assists) and a +2 rating in 16 games are about what you expect from the stay-at-home blueliner, but the statistics don’t tell the whole story.
Carlo has had major difficulties handling the puck, frequently turning it over, whether under pressure or not, and just generally looking uncomfortable with it on his stick.
He’s still finding his footing just 36 games into his tenure as a Maple Leaf, but if it doesn’t start trending in the right direction sooner rather than later, Carlo could find himself in the rumor mill once again in the lead-up to the 2026 trade deadline.
Next: Disgruntled Star Winger Seen as a Fit for the Toronto Maple Leafs
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