Confirmed Trade: [TOR/BOS] Brandon Carlo (15% retained) for Fraser Minten, cond. 2026 1st round pick (top 5 protected), 2025 4th round pick

[McFlyingV]

Laughton is a 4th liner on a good team.

Nah Laughton is just fine as a 3C.

 

[Strangle]

Sounds like a third team is involved which likely means retention, which makes this a lot better if Carlo is at a big discount for another two yeas.

Only real concern is management once again prioritizing depth and defence for a team that routinely forgets how to score goals in the playoffs.

This is true, I hate sending so many futures and prospects to bolster depth on a team who’s stars haven’t proven anything yet

 

[Legion34]

This deal is giving me Andrew Raycroft, Tuukka Rask vibes.

This could come back to bite Toronto for years if Minten reaches his full potential.

He has never had the offense. He isn’t very good. I am more worried about the firsts.

 

[Larry Hanson]

I like the thread title, what are the odds that Treliving would do a trade that is "complicated"?

 

[TheDoldrums]

no one would trade a 1st round pick for Fraser Minten yet apparently the Leafs traded 2 1sts lol

 

[Man Bear Pig]

Toronto's going all in but I just don't think they have as good a team as some of the other ones after we've seen rosters like Fla, Dal and Col are all pushed in.

Possibly the last year with the core, they kinda had to push their chips in. Giving up their #2 prospect was the price they had to pay.

 

[Hattrick Kane]

Was he? Most people said he was washed back then too

This is what Carlo looks like on the same chart

First big difference I notice is the QoT. He will have a much better partner in Toronto

If he plays with Rielly he won’t.

 

[Ghost of Murph]

Very nice addition to the Leafs. Big D-men are important in the playoffs, and TOR definitely has a really good d-corps now. Carlo is underrated. Leafs killing it today.

 

[Man Bear Pig]

Then another 1st for laughton and mccabe a lot for guys that domt really move the meter too much. Good secondary pieces though

McCabe has been excellent since he's been here. Arguably the #1 dman.

 

[HockeyVirus]

The leafs spent the equivalent of 3 firsts for Laughton and Carlo? f***ing yikes

3 firsts? Minten was a 2nd and Grebenkin was a 4th

 

[WillTheThrill]

Looooove this for the leafs. Was worried Cowan would be involved, sucks to see Minten go but he probably tops out as a good 3C.

 

[HockeyVirus]

Then another 1st for laughton and mccabe a lot for guys that domt really move the meter too much. Good secondary pieces though

McCabe is Toronto's best dman...

 

[Ledge And Dairy]

If he plays with Rielly he won’t.

???

I get that Rielly gets a lot of hate but he is without question a 1st pair caliber defenseman. Carlo played the majority of the season with one of Zadorov, Wotherspoon, or Oesterle

 

[WillTheThrill]

Hmmm. With what Toronto has vs have lacked, Carlo + Laughton are good adds. Goaltending remains insanely suspect. But Edmonton didnt address theirs either, and I’d be a hypocrite if I haven’t said 100x that goaltending is the most lottery ticket position in the game.

If the team can get to the playoffs with an average goalie, the goalie is NHL caliber at minimum and can get hot behind a healthy team playing well. If the team needs a goalie whose going to steal them 20+ points to make the post season in the first place, it doesn’t likely matter - the goalie likely can’t elevate their game much higher than it already is, and it’s way harder for an 18 man roster to get hot and suddenly play Cup winning hockey all the way to a championship.

In other words, a top 10 roster with a #25 goalie can reasonably believe in themselves to play their ass off supporting that goalie and the goalie to get hot and have a good chance at winning. A #25 roster with a top 10 goalie is only making rhe playoffs because the goalie masked the fact that they’re the 25th team in the league. The goalie doesn’t have much room to go up and it’s a lot less likely a #25 roster is going to elevate him to get a Cup.

What? Goaltending is the least of the leafs worries.

 

[McFlyingV]

Was he? Most people said he was washed back then too

This is what Carlo looks like on the same chart

First big difference I notice is the QoT. He will have a much better partner in Toronto

It's possible he bounces back, but injury history makes that even less likely.

PK is the obvious difference I see and Manson playing harder minutes. I think PK performance is hard to quantify as there's just way too many factors that influence PK performance. Even strength impact is much stronger for Manson in tougher minutes.

 

[Strangle]

Carlo is still a very, very solid shutdown defenseman. Soft for his size, negative offense, and will leave you wanting more at times, but an excellent shutdown D in the right role and is a stabilizing presence.

So the perfect partner for Morgan Reilly?

 

[Rob Brown]

Then another 1st for laughton and mccabe a lot for guys that domt really move the meter too much. Good secondary pieces though

Lol why the hell are you bringing McCabe into this as if he was acquired this year.

 

[Strangle]

McCabe-Tanev is our top pairing, and they have performed like one.

Rielly-Carlo for the 2nd pairing.
OEL-Myers for our 3rd pairing.
Benoit as the extra.

This is the best our D has been in my lifetime.

This is the best D the leafs have had in two decades

 

[WillTheThrill]

So we have no 1st 3 years in a row. Embarrassing.

Not really, this is a team built to win now

 

[JEI]

Similar deal to the McCabe one (only a RHD). Key is getting the player with term. Leafs should be doing more of this if they were going to move assets (they've had years of mercenary types). I imagine Carlo will be paired with Reilly on the 2nd pair. Minten's days were numbered when they aquired Laughton.

 

[ChurchOfMatthews]

you wont like him at all above the 2nd pair. he has zero offense

He'll fit right in then. Offence isn't our defences biggest strength... nor should it be.

 

[The90]

TSN predictably gives the Leafs an "A" on Deadline Day

Think it’s because they needed some name in a 3c spot, as well as a partner in the top 4 for Rielly + they got both?

 

[Grigowski]

Carlo and Coyle on the same flight to Denver.....

 

[Rob Brown]

Think it’s because they needed some name in a 3c spot, as well as a partner in the top 4 for Rielly + they got both?

Addressed arguably the two biggest needs and people here are surprised that the consensus is they did well. Lol.

 

[Strangle]

McCabe has been excellent since he's been here. Arguably the #1 dman.

God I wish we had Muzzin still, but McCabe has been a great Muzzin replacement