The Edmonton Oilers should be keeping an eye on Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Brandon Carlo as the March 6 trade deadline approaches. The stay-at-home defenseman could provide the steady right-side presence the Oilers desperately need for their playoff push.
Carlo would slot perfectly on Edmonton’s second pairing and strengthen their penalty kill unit. The 28-year-old brings the defensive reliability and shot-blocking ability the Oilers have lacked on their blueline this season. Carlo’s contract status makes him even more appealing to Edmonton.
Brandon Carlo could be key to the Edmonton Oilers’ defensive struggles
Carlo carries a $4.1 million cap hit through the end of next season, meaning he would be more than just a rental acquisition for the Oilers’ Stanley Cup push.
The 6-foot-5 defenseman has appeared in 34 games this season with the Maple Leafs, recording zero goals, five assists, 67 blocks, and a plus-4 rating.
His defensive metrics show exactly what the Oilers need to complement their offensive-minded defensemen. Toronto acquired Carlo from the Boston Bruins last March for forward Fraser Minten, a conditional first-round pick in 2026, and a fourth-round pick in 2025.
The Bruins retained 15 percent of Carlo’s salary in the deal.
The Maple Leafs sit outside the playoff picture with a 27-21-9 record at the Olympic break, six points behind the Boston Bruins for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
The disappointing season has pushed Toronto into seller mode ahead of the deadline. TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger said Monday he expects deals to come together this week after negotiations continued during the Olympic break.
The NHL roster freeze lifted as the calendar turned to February 23, allowing teams to resume making trades.
Carlo isn’t the only Maple Leafs player on Edmonton’s radar. The Oilers have also shown interest in forward Bobby McMann, who carries an extremely manageable $1. 35 million cap hit and has 19 goals this season.
Center Nicolas Roy represents another option for Edmonton’s third-line center spot. The 29-year-old has five goals and 20 points in 54 games while providing penalty-killing ability.
Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson has also been mentioned in conversations between the two teams.
The Swedish blueliner is having a resurgence season with eight goals and 34 points in 57 games.
The Oilers face significant cap constraints with approximately $2.8 million in projected deadline-day space. They may need to move Andrew Mangiapane’s $3.6 million contract to create room for meaningful additions before pursuing any of Toronto’s available pieces.
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