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The 2025 NHL Trade Deadline saw a ton of movement, especially on Deadline Day. One such move saw the Toronto Maple Leafs trade for Brandon Carlo in a deal with the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins. It was a bit stunning to see these two Atlantic Division rivals swing a major trade such as this, and it was certainly an adjustment for Carlo to make midseason.
Carlo made his Maple Leafs debut on March 8, one day after the trade. The Colorado Springs, Colorado native has played five contests with his new club to this point. It's certainly a small sample size, but Carlo is beginning to find his footing in Toronto. The Maple Leafs rearguard explained how he's found his comfort with Toronto ahead of his team's clash on Wednesday with the Colorado Avalanche.
“I mean, talk about getting thrown in the hot water there for a second,” Carlo said, via NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger. “It's been like, what, nine days since I played my first game with these guys with Toronto? It seems like a lot more. So much has happened.
“Yeah, it seems so long ago that we faced Colorado in that first game. Now we're playing them again, and I feel a lot more comfortable than I did that night, more comfortable overall at being a Maple Leaf.”
Maple Leafs' Brandon Carlo recalls being traded from Bruins
Carlo played his first game with the Maple Leafs in his native Colorado. The Maple Leafs and Avalanche played a rather offensive game, but Colorado eventually came out on top 7-4. Before that game, Carlo had a run-in with a now-former teammate.
The Bruins traded forward Charlie Coyle on trade deadline day. His destination? The Avalanche. It turns out the two traded skaters ended up on the same flight to Colorado, allowing them to process their moves at the same time.
“That was kind of funny,” Carlo said, via Zeisberger. “But it was also a nice comfort as well, going through the process with somebody I was comfortable with. We had some good communication on the flight. He'd been traded once before, so just seeing the way he was handling himself was a good thing for me to look up and to look at. Great friend, great person and someone who handled things really well. So, I learned.”
Carlo and Coyle are on opposite ends of the ice again on Wednesday. Both players have more familiarity with their new teams, and both players will look to make an impact in this contest. It will certainly be interesting to see these former teammates face off on Wednesday night in Toronto.
