The Toronto Maple Leafs made another move Saturday to stockpile future assets, trading defenseman Brandon Carlo to the St. Louis Blues for two third-round picks in the 2026 NHL Draft. The picks are 73rd and 76th overall, according to Sportsnet Canada.
Carlo’s 2025-26 season was a mess. He missed nearly two months after foot surgery in November, then sat out again late in the year with a lower-body injury. He finished with just seven points. In his career, Carlo has 119 points and brings 10 years of NHL experience to a Blues team trying to bounce back from a playoff miss.
The Blues have been busy. On Friday they landed center Mason McTavish in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks. Those two moves signal St. Louis is serious about upgrading its roster after a 258-goals-against season. They gave up 15 more goals than they scored and finished with 86 points, four back of a wild card spot. They did win their final four games, but it wasn’t enough.
“He dealt with injuries for a chunk of the year,” Sportsnet reported. Carlo will turn 30 next season, and it’s fair to wonder how much he has left. But the Blues needed a stay-at-home body on the blue line, and Carlo fits that description when healthy. The cost was two picks in the 70s. That’s cheap for a veteran who can kill penalties and block shots.
Toronto, meanwhile, is deep in a rebuild. The Leafs fired head coach Craig Berube after a disappointing season and replaced him with former assistant Jim Hiller. They also held the first overall pick in the 2026 draft and drafted winger Gavin McKenna, a highly regarded prospect. This trade is another piece of the long game. The Maple Leafs haven’t won a Stanley Cup since 1967, and this front office isn’t pretending they’re close.
Shipping out Carlo for draft capital doesn’t help next year. But it opens cap space and gives Toronto more swings in the draft. Whether that leads anywhere is a question for 2028 or later. For now, the Leafs are collecting lottery tickets. The Blues are trying to win now.
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