Maple Leafs Trade Deadline Pickup Already Proving to Be a Game-Changer

When Toronto traded prospect Fraser Minten to the Boston Bruins for Brandon Carlo, there was a lot of talk around whether or not Toronto overpaid for the blue liner, or if he was the right fit for the team and they just lost a top prospect for nothing.

But so far, Carlo has looked comfortable in blue and white, eschewing the bitterness he held for nearly a decade and trying to help Toronto as best as he can. His pairing with Morgan Rielly is starting to turn into a solid pairing, even if Rielly still needs to pick up his defensive slack.

The numbers aren't lying either; at least in the small sample size.

In the four games he's played with the Maple Leafs, Carlo has a plus/minus of zero, and hasn't added a point yet; but he does have seven hits and nine blocks over that span, and his defense is helping Toronto get some scoring chances (even if they aren't finishing).

Always known as a stay-at-home defenseman, Carlo has come in and really helped Morgan Rielly in terms of having a reliable and consistent defensive partner. Yes, it's only a few games but the eye test and now, the numbers, don't lie.

It's a great sign for a team who has struggled to find consistency on their blue line, and while they have dealt with some injuries to the majority of their blue line (Morgan Rielly seems to be one of the only healthy ones).

The team just got Chris Tanev back, they've lost Jake McCabe twice, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson is good, but not like he was a decade or so ago.

If he can continue the chemistry with Rielly, and the rest of the Maple Leafs players start to pick things up and start scoring some more, then it's a massive boost toward a strong playoff run.

It's a good thing Toronto went out and splurged a bit on Brandon Carlo. Yes, it cost them Fraser Minten, but if he ends up being the difference between a first round exit and the Conference Finals?

That price is well worth it.