In the 2026 off-season, the St. Louis Blues made several additions to their roster, highlighted by young forwards Mason McTavish and Connor McMichael.
But the Blues made another move at the 2026 NHL draft that has flown a bit under the radar. The Blues dealt a pair of third-round picks to the Toronto Maple Leafs to acquire veteran right-handed defenseman Brandon Carlo.
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Carlo struggled during his time with the Maple Leafs, who paid a premium price to acquire him from the Boston Bruins at the 2024-25 trade deadline. He was brought in to be a shutdown defenseman and add physicality to their blueline, but it never worked out.
Carlo was recently a guest on the Cam & Strick Podcast, where he discussed some of his mishaps in Toronto.
“It was tough at times,” Carlo admitted. “Obviously, I don’t think that we had as great of a year. I had some injuries, I wasn’t at my best… didn’t work out the way that I would have hoped, but overall, I like to try and focus on the positive.”
Carlo went on to discuss elements he enjoyed while playing in Toronto, including former Blues coach Craig Berube and teammates like Jake McCabe, Morgan Rielly, and Auston Matthews. Carlo believes playing in Toronto has helped him develop a thicker skin. Now a veteran on a team filled with youngsters, Carlo will have this experience in Toronto to look back on.
Brandon Carlo Reflects On Turbulent Maple Leafs Tenure, Scrutiny, And Move to Blues: ‘It Helped Me Develop Thicker Skin’
Brandon Carlo Reflects On Turbulent Maple Leafs Tenure, Scrutiny, And Move to Blues: ‘It Helped Me Develop Thicker Skin’Brandon Carlo was a guest on the ‘Cam & Strick’ podcast, and he discussed his tenure in Toronto before his trade to the St. Louis Blues this summer.
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Now 29 years old, Carlo is playing for his third NHL team. Upon skating in eight games, Carlo will have played 700 NHL games. The Blues won’t need Carlo to average over 20 minutes a night, but they’ll need him to be a positive presence who plays a safe game.
“I had talked to my agent a little bit and knew that it could be a possibility,” Carlo said of the move. “Contract-wise, going into the last year and things like that. I’m really excited about the timing. It kind of gives our family some time to figure out the logistics and just come in with a group and start the year.”
Carlo enters the final season of a six-year, $4.1 million AAV contract. Whether Carlo is a one-year rental or signs another deal with the Blues is undetermined. Colton Parayko, another right-handed defenseman, will have three years left on his deal, and Logan Mailloux will hopefully be a top-four option for the Blues. With prospects like Adam Jiricek looking to join the big club in the next few seasons, Carlo could be seen as a stopgap until Jiricek does.
Ultimately, the Blues’ success this year and Carlo’s play will determine his future with the organization.
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