New Maple Leafs defenseman Brandon Carlo recently opened up and revealed the truth behind how he feels about being paired with veteran Morgan Rielly in what has been a down year for Rielly.
After acquiring Scott Laughton from the Philadelphia Flyers near the end of the trade deadline, many were wondering if that was all the Toronto Maple Leafs were going to do to bolster their lineup ahead of the post-season.
At the 11th hour, the Maple Leafs brokered a deal with the Boston Bruins for steady top-4 defenseman Brandon Carlo in exchange for Fraser Minten and a 2026 first round pick. The cost of acquisition might have been high but the Leafs are already reaping the rewards for a variety of reasons.
Carlo's game is exactly what the Maple Leafs needed to address their back-end. He stands in at a hulking 6'5 and 220 pounds, is a right-hand shot, plays with a physical edge, and most importantly, has brought the best out of Morgan Rielly.
It hasn't been a large sample size, but the analytical numbers are through the roof when Brandon Carlo and Morgan Rielly are on the ice together and it has really settled things down in front of their goaltenders.
In 148 minutes together, the duo has an xG of 58.3% and are outscoring the opposition 7-5. That's exactly what the Leafs were hoping for when they traded the rookie Minten in the deal for Carlo.
When asked what it's like playing alongside Rielly, Carlo had nothing but high praise for the 12-year veteran.
"I love playing with guys like Mo. His capability of moving the puck makes me feel really comfortable in the defensive zone, getting it over to him, knowing we'll be able to make some good plays coming out of the d-zone. He's been doing a great job communicating with me, as well. Defensively, on rush reads, I'm really beginning to recognize his voice, with my voice as well. It's been great. For me, it's an ideal partnership, the kind of guy like that."
Consistency has been an issue for Rielly this season but the addition of Carlo has drastically altered the situation. It was certainly something that needed to be addressed and Brad Treliving really hit a home run, especially when you factor in that Carlo is under contract for another 2 seasons after this one at just $3.49 million AAV.
If the Maple Leafs can enter the post-season with a solidified top-4 that is playing otherworldly, it might give them the edge to finally get over the hump and go on a deep post-season run for the first time in almost 3 decades.
