Brandon Carlo's Struggles Looking Worse As Fraser Minten Becomes Bruins Fan Favorite

When the Toronto Maple Leafs traded away Fraser Minten at the NHL trade deadline to bolster their defense, acquiring Brandon Carlo from the Boston Bruins, they knew there was value in Fraser Minten, and took a clear risk for a short-term gain.

In win-now mode, the Leafs took a risk in acquiring Carlo knowing that they were giving up a player in Fraser Minten who showcased he had both the talent and projectability to be an NHL caliber player, having already appeared in 15 games for Toronto.

Currently, Brandon Carlo has been dealing with the ire of Leafs fans, and on the other side, Fraser Minten is quickly becoming a highly promising player for Boston, making the win-now trade a question sooner rather than later.

Brandon Carlo's recent performance, and more specifically what he's not doing, is having some Leafs fans concerned if their big trade of defense is blowing up in their faces.

The most talked about problem with Carlo was his inaction in the Leafs last game against Seattle after Kraken forward Mason Marchment knocked into Anthony Stolarz, with Carlo having a delayed reaction to the incident.

Carlo explained himself, saying that he didn't want to get into a scrum that could potentially put himself into getting a penalty with the Leafs going on the power play, canceling out their advantage.

Either way, fans were still not happy to see Marchment get off lightly, and some are reminding the Leafs of what they gave up.

Acquired in part for his defensive and physical abilities, Leafs fans have let Carlo hear it, and have made clear they want more intensity from their defenseman, along with the rest of the team.

If Carlo doesn't do what he was acquired for, it could become a problem.

Fraser Minten was expected to be good for Boston, but perhaps not as good this soon. Minten took a strong training camp and earned himself a spot on the Bruins roster for a team that could use both short and long-term help down the middle.

Minten has so far delivered for Boston as much as he can as a rookie with a goal in seven games from the Bruins third line, but he's been put in the effort beyond the scoresheet that has fans hyped for his potential.

If Brandon Carlo isn't able to be the defenseman the Toronto Maple Leafs need him to be, not only will he be a player who risks losing his place with the team, but could become a major disappointment for fans if Minten develops into the success they'd hope to get in Carlo.

Especially if «win-now» ends before it began.