The Toronto Maple Leafs are parting with a defenceman as new general manager John Chayka looks to reshape their defensive core. Brandon Carlo is heading to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for picks 73 and 76 in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, which is continuing as we speak.
BRANDON CARLO at WJC 2015
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) June 27, 2026
Leafs Trade Brandon Carlo to Blues, Clearing Cap Space
It was clear that Carlo could be on his way out, especially after acquiring Darren Raddysh, who is also a right defenceman. He has a $4.1 million salary cap hit until next season, so the Leafs were able to clear that out. However, given that they traded prospect Fraser Minten, a 2026 conditional first-round pick, and a 2025 fourth-round pick (Vashek Blanar) to the Boston Bruins, this feels like a net loss. Chayka will be tasked to clean up some of the questionable decisions that past GM Brad Treliving may have made, and moving out Carlo is a step toward that as the team looks to improve next season.
What Does This Mean for the Blues?
After trading out the likes of Justin Faulk last season, Carlo will fill the right-handed defenceman hole and add a veteran presence. Their right side before this trade consisted of Colton Parayko, Logan Mailloux, and Matthew Kessel. A strong improvement there. Carlo recorded seven assists in 55 games with Toronto last season, and is a stay-at-home defender who uses his big size and long reach to disrupt plays. The team will not see much offensive output here with Carlo.
As Alexander Steen comes in as GM after the draft, outgoing GM Doug Armstrong has left him with some improvements to the roster, after the Mason McTavish trade that also took place yesterday. A good start as a new era of the Blues begins.
Main Photo Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
