Blues Acquire Carlo; Hurricanes Secure Carlson’s Rights in Draft Day Trades

The St. Louis Blues made a significant move during the NHL draft on Saturday, acquiring defenseman Brandon Carlo from the Toronto Maple Leafs. In exchange, the Blues sent their Nos. 73 and 76 picks to Toronto, marking another step in the roster reshaping for both teams amid a tumultuous offseason.

Carlo’s tenure with the Maple Leafs was brief, lasting just 88 games after Toronto traded a first-round pick, a fourth-rounder, and promising forward prospect Fraser Minten to Boston for him at the 2025 trade deadline. With a change in management, as general manager Brad Treliving was fired two months ago and replaced by John Chayka, the Leafs retained the 2023 first-round pick only after winning the lottery for the No. 1 overall selection.

This trade marks the third for the Blues this week, as they continue to transition under the leadership of GM-in-waiting Alexander Steen, who is set to take over for veteran executive Doug Armstrong next week. Armstrong has kept busy in his final days with the team, recently trading Jordan Kyrou to Washington for forward Connor McMichael, prospect Milton Gastrin, and the No. 16 pick. He also sent two of those picks to Anaheim for 23-year-old Mason McTavish, who is under contract through 2031.

Carlo is expected to bring veteran stability to the right side of the Blues’ defense, particularly if the team looks to trade Colton Parayko or Justin Faulk as part of their offseason adjustments. He enters the final year of his contract with a salary cap hit of just under $3.5 million. “We’re excited (Carlo has) got his size and length, his ability to kill plays, his experience,” Armstrong shared with reporters in Centene, Missouri. “Getting stronger up front and having strong goaltending, we think we’re going to be more competitive than we were last year.”

In a separate move, the Carolina Hurricanes took proactive steps to secure the rights of defenseman John Carlson, who is poised to become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday. The reigning Stanley Cup champions traded the 192nd pick and the rights to restricted free agent forward Kyle Masters to Anaheim in exchange for an exclusive negotiating window with Carlson. Recently acquired by the Ducks from the Capitals just hours before the deadline in March, Carlson is believed to be interested in returning to the East Coast for family reasons, having spent his first 16-plus seasons in Washington, including a pivotal role in the Capitals’ 2018 Cup victory.

Meanwhile, new Nashville president of hockey operations and GM Chris MacFarland has been busy adding familiar players from his time in Colorado, but on Saturday he also made a fresh addition from the East by trading for Swedish winger Adam Edstrom from the New York Rangers. The Predators sent the 148th pick in the draft and the rights to minor leaguer Massimo Rizzo to New York. The Rangers, who also traded Brett Berard to Montreal on Friday, are not expected to extend a qualifying offer to Rizzo, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Additionally, the Colorado Avalanche traded Ivan Ivan to the Boston Bruins for Fabian Lysell, completing a swap of young forwards.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.