Blues acquire Brandon Carlo from Leafs for picks

The trades continue to roll in at the 2026 NHL Draft, as the St. Louis Blues have acquired Brandon Carlo in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Carlo, who was originally acquired by the Leafs from the Boston Bruins in a costly trade that saw Fraser Minten and a conditional first-round pick in 2026 head out the door to the Bruins, is fetching a less flashy haul this time, as the Blues are sending the No. 73 and No. 76 overall picks on Saturday to Toronto to complete the trade.

The 29-year old native of Colorado Springs appeared in 55 regular season games for the Leafs this past year, recording seven assists while being held without a goal. Carlo posted a plus-4 rating while skating an average of 19:22 of time on ice per game.

Prior to the 2025 trade to the Leafs, Carlo had spent his entire career as a Bruin, since debuting in the 2016-17 campaign. With one year remaining on his contract at a salary cap hit of $4.1 million, Carlo is set to be an unrestricted free agent next summer, but he is eligible to sign an extension this July 1.

While Carlo’s cap hit is $4.1 million, the Blues will only be responsible for $3.485 due to retention by the Bruins in the first trade to the Leafs.

As St. Louis undergoes a passing of the torch in the general manager’s chair from Doug Armstrong to Alex Steen, the club has been active this offseason. On Friday night, they added Mason McTavish in a deal with the Anaheim Ducks for two of their four first-round picks. Earlier this week, they sent winger Jordan Kyrou to Washington, getting a package built around Connor McMichael and a first rounder.

Now, Carlo joins a defensive core that already includes the likes of Colton Parayko, Philip Broberg, Cam Fowler, Tyler Tucker and Logan Mailloux.