Brandon Carlo

Don Sweeney turned heads last year by flipping Brandon Carlo to Toronto for Fraser Minten and a top-5 protected 2026 first-rounder, and that package keeps paying dividends as Minten thrives with 14 goals in Boston's lineup. The Leafs sit 13th in the East, desperate to retool while Sweeney eyes another bite, maybe even prying Oliver Ekman-Larsson for one of those extra firsts.

Bruins fans already nursing grudges from that epic 2013 Game 7 collapse by Toronto now have a new knife to twist after last year's deadline deal that sent Brandon Carlo north of the border. The trade's conditional first-rounder from the Leafs - top-five protected, no less - looms large as Toronto fights to avoid a bottom-five finish that would hand Boston even more value.

Toronto scouts plot aggressively for Boston's Brandon Carlo, eyeing his shutdown prowess to bolster a blue line that's bled goals all season. Three prime offseason destinations surface where the Leafs hold leverage, each offering picks and prospects that fit Dubas-era wheeling and dealing. With Carlo's contract ticking toward UFA status, Bruins GM Don Sweeney sweats a retention battle that could swing Toronto's Cup window wide open.

The Bruins continue to cash in on last year's deadline heist that sent Brandon Carlo to Toronto for Fraser Minten and a top-five protected 2026 first-rounder, but now Leafs GM Brad Treliving admits they had no choice on that pick protection to seal the deal. With Toronto scratching trade bait like Scott Laughton and Oliver Ekman-Larsson ahead of this week's deadline, whispers of a sequel swap grow louder as Boston eyes right-shot help.

The Toronto Maple Leafs scratch three healthy bodies right as the deadline looms, and anyone who's been around this league knows that's code for "shop these guys yesterday." With the post-Olympic skid turning into a full-blown crisis, GM Brad Treliving signals he's ready to flip assets like Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Brandon Carlo for picks and prospects to retool the blue line.

The Canadiens kick the tires on Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, drawn to his size and sandpaper after a strong Olympic run with Finland, but Elliotte Friedman reports the chatter fizzled fast. Philadelphia's Daniel Briere holds firm, eyeing a first-rounder akin to last year's Brandon Carlo package, even with salary retention on the table. Montreal insiders make it clear they won't get fleeced, signaling a disciplined push as the deadline looms with other suitors circling.