The St. Louis Blues made a number of moves this past summer, some likely to be more impactful than others. One of the more curious moves was trading two third-round picks for defenseman Brandon Carlo, effectively bailing out the Toronto Maple Leafs after they made an ill-advised deadline trade during the 2024-25 season by then-general manager Brad Treliving. That original trade--which saw Carlo move from the Boston Bruins to their Atlantic Division rivals in Toronto--involved a first-round pick and promising middle-six forward Fraser Minten, who just signed a major extension with the Bruins.
Carlo has one season remaining on his contract, and he carries a $3.485-million cap hit and a three-team no-trade list. With so many young defensemen in the pipeline, this should be Carlo's only season in St. Louis.
How the defense looks
On paper, the Blues' biggest weakness heading into the 2026-27 season is their blue line group. Philip Broberg is an excellent top-pair defenseman, but after that things get murky--in no small part due to Cam Fowler's massive regression last year. Colton Parayko probably slots in next to Broberg but, at 33 years old, his best days are likely behind him; if last season's the new normal, then Parayko's already minimal offense could become nonexistent for the remainder of his contract. Logan Mailloux took a major step late last season but, as a young defenseman, his ability will remain in question until he proves he can contribute on a consistent, night-to-night basis.
So where does that leave Carlo? It's going to depend on how many young defensemen make the roster out of training camp. If we assume the top pair to be Broberg/Parayko, the best second pair you could make would be Fowler/Carlo--but that leaves the third pair woefully weak. A third pair of Mailloux and Theo Lindstein is awfully young, and even swapping Lindstein out for Tyler Tucker--who's better suited to the AHL--doesn't improve things much.
Carlo's role and future
More likely, head coach Jim Montgomery is going to spread the veterans throughout the lineup. Loading up the top four to make the best pairs possible makes sense, but it would give teams an opportunity to feast on an unproven third pair.
The Broberg/Parayko top pair probably stays intact, but the second pair is where Montgomery will have a decision to make. Ultimately, that second pair should be Fowler and Mailloux, and we'll have to hope that Fowler's reduced role allows him to find some success.
That leaves Carlo on the third pair, as a reliable, veteran support for whichever young defenseman makes the team. Carlo's known for his defensive play and would allow a player like Lindstein or Adam Jiricek to feel more confident in the offensive zone, knowing Carlo's back there to help kill any breakdowns that could lead to a chance the other way.
By the end of the season, one would hope at least one of these young defensemen will be capable of handling third-pair duties without a veteran beside them. If things play out that way, it would make Carlo redundant, and there'd be no reason to re-sign him--if he doesn't get moved at the trade deadline first, of course.
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