Toronto Maple Leafs

One New Trade & a Complicated Maple Leafs’ Ripple Effect

The Maple Leafs keep adding defencemen. Could Brandon Carlo become the odd man out as roles begin to shift?

by
Old Prof
June 21, 2026

Now that the Toronto Maple Leafs keep adding (and reshaping) their defence, what happens to Brandon Carlo? It looks as if the new leadership group has assessed the past two seasons of roster tweaks and come to believe that getting bigger, more physical, and tougher to play against didn’t swing the pendulum the way they wished.

Now, with the trades for Emil Andrae and Darren Raddysh, should the team trade Carlo?

Where Does Carlo Fit on the Maple Leafs Roster?

Terry Koshan’s take starts with Carlo’s fit on the roster. He’s a right-shot defenseman. On paper, that checks a box Toronto always wants. That’s because right-handed blueliners can be harder to find. Carlo’s cap hit is also described as manageable (just under about $3.5M). On the surface, it’s not like the Maple Leafs are “stuck” with him financially.

That’s why the idea of a trade feels plausible to Koshan: a team looking for a right-shot D could view Carlo as a useful piece without needing to overpay. But then the conversation quickly gets away from the ideal “cap-friendly right shot” scenario and into the more uncomfortable reality. The problem is what other teams think of Carlo as a player.

Koshan suggests that teams see his size, but also don’t see enough of the physical, body-on style that typically comes with that profile. In other words, Carlo’s game hasn’t been showing the grit and impact you’d expect from a bigger defenseman. At least, in Toronto, it hasn’t been consistent enough. If the value of a player like that depends on using his body and winning battles, Toronto didn’t get that. Then the trade value might not be as strong as fans hope.

Koshan Sees Carlo as the Odd Man Out on the Maple Leafs Blueline

That’s where the “odd man out” idea comes in. Koshan frames Carlo as someone squeezed by the Maple Leafs’ current mix. That’s especially true when you consider how crowded the D picture gets once new additions land and roles start to firm up. The implication is that Carlo might not be going anywhere tomorrow, but his long-term security feels less certain than it would for a player the coaching staff clearly leans on.

Raddysh factors into this because Toronto is doing more than just collecting defenders. They’re trying to solve specific problems. If Raddysh is viewed as an upgrade or a more direct contributor to the Maple Leafs’ defensive/transition/power-play mix, then Carlo’s role becomes less “necessary.”

Brandon Carlo Maple Leafs defenseman — Is Brandon Carlo the Maple Leafs odd man out?

Will Carlo Become a Tradeable Asset?

Koshan’s tone suggests that while Carlo could still theoretically be moved. That said, Maple Leafs fans shouldn’t expect a massive return unless other teams suddenly start valuing him for something Toronto hasn’t been getting.

The bottom line for the Maple Leafs is that the Raddysh trade doesn’t automatically “replace” Carlo. However, it changes the math of the defensive depth chart. And if Carlo’s perceived value gets tied to intangibles Toronto hasn’t seen, then his trade ceiling may be limited.

That means the best outcome might be for Carlo to earn a clearer role on the team rather than for the Maple Leafs to try to cash in big.