Brandon Carlo makes his feelings known about being traded to Boston Bruins' rival Toronto Maple Leafs

By Mike Whitaker

Modified Mar 08, 2025 01:37 GMT

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The Boston Bruins made several notable changes to their lineup before this afternoon's NHL Trade Deadline, which included trading away captain Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers.

Additionally, they traded Charlie Coyle to the Colorado Avalanche while sending defenseman Brandon Carlo to the rival Toronto Maple Leafs.

Carlo now joins a Leafs team that he helped knock out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs multiple times during his career, including last spring's seven-game series that was capped by David Pastrnak's overtime game-winner in the deciding seventh game.

While it was a "shocker" for Carlo to be sent to a rival team in the division, he's excited about the prospects of playing with talented players like Auston Matthews.

"Yeah, definitely a shocker when I heard that it was Toronto, but then it's pretty instant that you can kind of look at the group that they got there," Carlo said. "Auston Matthews, one of the best goal scorers if not the best goal scorer in the game, facilitated by so much. So what an opportunity for me to go in there and then try and help this group win."

Carlo, who had scored a goal while adding eight assists for the Bruins this season, will join his new Leafs teammates and suit up for them on Saturday night against the Colorado Avalanche.

Brandon Carlo had played his entire career with the Bruins

Carlo had played his entire NHL career up to this point with the Bruins, and battled against the Maple Leafs multiple times both in the regular season and in heated postseason matchups.

However, Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving explained that Carlo had been on their radar for quite some time now and that he had helped play a major role in the successes the Bruins enjoyed.

"It is the profile of him," Treliving said of Carlo. "He is big, long, has a great stick, defends the blue paint really well, is excellent on the penalty killer, and has tremendous character.

In talking to both him and Donny (Bruins GM Don Sweeney) today, he has been a big part of the success that has gone on in Boston, and they have had a lot of it. He has been on our radar for a long, long time."

Carlo now joins a Maple Leafs team looking to rid themselves of past playoff demons; the Leafs also picked up veteran center Scott Laughton from the Philadelphia Flyers.