There is a controversial rumour around the Toronto Maple Leafs that suggests they could consider trading away Brandon Carlo. Daily Faceoff insider Frank Seravalli provided his latest edition of his top 40 trade targets board. Carlo was on that list at No. 25, one spot below Morgan Rielly. Seravalli explained his thinking behind putting the 28-year-old on his trade board.
“Toronto really isn’t itching to move Carlo,” Seravalli wrote.”He is a big man who adds reliable depth at a reasonable cap hit and he’s in the prime of his career. But the Leafs may be able to parlay Carlo, at a premium position, into a higher-end forward to add to the lineup,” he added.
It’s not about the Maple Leafs getting rid of Carlo. It’s more about what the team could receive if they were to dangle him in front of other general managers. Carlo is a solid right-shot defenceman and could help any team chase a Stanley Cup. In addition, he has a very affordable contract. He has two years left on his contract, with a $3.485 million cap hit. Originally, Carlo earned $4.1 million per season, but the Boston Bruins retained 15 percent of his contract when the Leafs acquired him. In that trade, Toronto sent Fraser Minten, along with two draft picks, to obtain Carlo.
While he is a big piece of Toronto’s blueline, there are pros and cons to exploring the return they could get for Carlo.
Trading Carlo: The Pros
Trading Carlo could open the door to plenty of opportunities for the Maple Leafs. First, it would open a spot on the right side of their defence. Second, a player like Carlo could generate lots of interest around the league. As mentioned, he has a great contract, he has great size, and he is a right-handed D-man. In many ways, Carlo is very valuable and can attract high-level talent and assets.
This gives general manager Brad Treliving the opportunity to search for a forward on a broader scale. Instead of looking to somewhat make up for Mitch Marner‘s scoring in free agency, he can look at several teams to propose deals with. With that, there is still a hole on the blueline that needs to be filled. That’s the opportunity for the Leafs to chase Aaron Ekblad in free agency. He is the best D-man available and is a Windsor, Ont. native. On the open market, Ekblad will likely request an AAV of around $8 million to $9.5 million.
After signing John Tavares to a four-year deal at $4.39 million, the Leafs have $21.3 million in cap space for next season, per PuckPedia. Therefore, if Toronto signed Ekblad at $9 million per season (as an example), there’s still $12.3 million to work with. That leaves plenty of room to sign pending RFA Matthew Knies, as well as Steven Lorentz, Nicholas Robertson, and Pontus Holmberg, if they wish. They can also bury contracts in the minors, such as Ryan Reaves‘ $1.35 million cap hit.
The Cons
Just like any player, there is a huge risk in trading away Carlo. The main aspect of what he brings to the team is his consistent, conservative defensive play. While receiving a valuable haul in return is realistic, there’s no guarantee that the team can replace Carlo with a D-man of his skill set. Ekblad will be exposed to plenty of teams if he hits the open market, including teams from no-tax states. It would be a challenge to make all the pieces of that plan go through.
It wouldn’t be a terrible idea to go the safe route and keep Carlo for at least the remainder of his contract. Furthermore, the blueliner has only played 33 regular-season and playoff games for the Maple Leafs. Carlo is in the prime of his career, and Toronto should be happy with the situation they have with him.
Main Photo Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
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