Bruins Follow Up Brad Marchand Blockbuster with Another Big Trade

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Owen Crisafulli | Last updated Mar 7, 2025 3:47 PM ET

The Boston Bruins stunned the NHL when they traded their captain Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers right before the 2025 trade deadline struck. That wasn't the only big deal they made, though, as they followed that up by sending defenseman Brandon Carlo to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Boston had been selling off some spare parts ahead of the deadline, with Trent Frederic, Justin Brazeau, and Charlie Coyle heading for the exit door. They completely blew things up when they sent Marchand to one of their top rivals, the Panthers, sending their fanbase into a frenzy.

"Still pending league call, but told Brad Marchand is going to Florida," Pierre LeBrun of TSN shared in a post on X, confirming that Marchand would be on the move.

Little did Bruins fans know that that wouldn't be the only major move made right before the deadline struck. That's because moments later, it was reported that one of their top defenders in Carlo would be headed to another one of their top rivals, the Maple Leafs, confirming that Boston is entering a rebuild.

"The Leafs are getting Brandon Carlo," Chris Johnston of The Athletic reported in a post on X.

The #leafs are getting Brandon Carlo.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) March 7, 2025

A defensive defenseman, Carlo spent the first nine years of his career in Boston, emerging as one of their most reliable players. He doesn't appear on the scoresheet much, as he only has one goal and eight assists to his name this year, but he's a physical presence on the blue line who helps keep the puck out of his own team's net.

Now, he'll go from a team whose playoff hopes are floundering to a Maple Leafs team that is hoping to make a deep run this year. Toronto will get their first look at their newest player when they take the ice on Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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