Brandon Carlo on the Trading Block

Brandon Carlo is reportedly available, according to TSN’s Chris Johnston. As the Toronto Maple Leafs continue to reshape their blueline, Carlo is a name that other teams are asking about. Toronto GM John Chayka is apparently asking for multiple mid-round draft picks for the 29-year-old defenseman.

Mid-round draft picks can be any combination of picks between the 3rd and 5th rounds. Seems like a low asking price considering what the Maple Leafs gave up to acquire Carlo. Former Toronto GM Brad Treliving sent prospect Fraser Minten and a 1st round pick to the Boston Bruins for the big defenseman. The pick was top-five protected, which turned out to be a blessing, as the Maple Leafs won the draft lottery and will pick 1st overall on Friday.

Carlo never really found a groove in Toronto and spent a chunk of time out with an injury. Chayka seems to be ridding the team of Treliving’s past mistakes. Reshaping the blueline is a clear goal for the Maple Leafs. The new GM has already added Darren Raddysh in a sign-and-trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He also added Emil Andrae in the Joseph Woll trade with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Chayka wants a blueline that is better at moving the puck and can provide more offense. Raddysh is good at both, while Andrae is good at moving the puck. Getting Carlo and his $3.485 off the books will free up more cap space heading into free agency.

Carlo Not the Only Leafs Defenseman on the Trade Block

In addition to Carlo, Morgan Rielly is also involved in trade rumours as the chances of him waiving his no-move clause increase. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported during an appearance on TSN OverDrive on Monday that Rielly is open to a trade and has submitted an approval list. The list apparently includes four teams. Most, if not all, of the approved teams are in the Western Conference.

The San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks, and Las Vegas Golden Knights are the most likely to be on his list. However, there is a chance the Seattle Kraken are one of the teams, as they are close to his hometown of Vancouver. The Vancouver Canucks are likely not on his list, as they are in the midst of a rebuild.

If Chayka can move Rielly ($7.5 million) and Carlo ($3.485 million) without retaining any salary, Toronto will have $29.7 million (minus any players they acquire) in cap space to start free agency. That is more than enough to reshape the blueline and add a top-six forward.

The Nashville Predators, New York Rangers, and Utah Mammoth have the most mid-round draft picks in the 2026 NHL draft. However, Utah already has a crowded blueline. Could Carlo be heading to Music City or Broadway? I think we’ll find out very soon.

Another possibility is that Chayka doesn’t care if all the picks are in the 2026 draft. If that’s the case, then many other teams could be in on Carlo. I’m glad to see that Chayka isn’t wasting time reshaping the Maple Leafs. He knows what he wants, and he’s doing everything he can to get it done.

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