One of the most valuable trade assets the Maple Leafs have is Brandon Carlo. While 29 year old defenseman does not have a high point total, he has been a solid lockdown defenseman. According to Natural Stat Trick, he has a 49.18 GF% and a 58.82 HDGF%. These numbers demostrate that Carlo has decent defensive ability and excels when oppoents are applying a lot of pressure. This is the type of player that every team love to have.
This led many to believe that Carlo would attract many interested suitors and that the Leafs could get a decent return for him. However, the number of teams looking for defensemen is shrinking. Several teams have already filled their defensive hole. Yesterday, the Sabres acquired Colton Parayko from the Blues, and this morning, the Blackhawks sent Connor Murphy to the Oilers. Two teams that would have been perfect fits for Carlo.
With these two teams out of the Carlo sweepstakes, it makes shopping for him much harder. The Leafs are losing the leverage they once had and will have to reevaluate their strategy for trading him. But what does the market look like, now that there are fewer suitors?
What does Brandon Carlo market look like after these trades?
There are only a handful of teams that will be aggressively pursuing a defenseman at the deadline. The main one is the Bruins, but a Carlo trade seems unlikely, as they traded him to the Leafs just last season. The Ducks should also be interested in Carlo's services. With their young players blossoming and them being second in the Pacific Division, it feels like it's time to go all in. Outside of those two, it is unknown what other teams could be looking to upgrade their defense this season.
Although the number of contenders is shrinking, Carlo is not limited to those destinations. With him having another year left on his deal, he becomes more valuable to bubble teams. The teams that have a shot at making it this season but might be hesitant to trade a haul for a rental. Teams that many believe might be ahead of schedule this year, but will be in the running next year. This includes teams like the Predators, Sharks, and Senators.
With a wide variety of teams potentially in the market for Carlo, the thought is the Leafs could still get a good return for him. The Leafs still have some leverage, and a bidding war is possible. But this all hinges on how aggressive those bubble teams want to be. If they go all in and all of a sudden there are five to six teams bidding, Carlo could land the Leafs a package similar to, or better than, what the Blues got for Parayko. However, if they decide to stay put, and there are only a couple of teams going after him, that package is going to be along the lines of a draft pick and a mid-level prospect.
With all the trade activity going on Carlo market appears to be at a crossroads. We will have a better idea of the type of package the Leafs can get as we appoarch the deadline and teams decided what direction they are going to take.