The Toronto Maple Leafs traded defenceman Brandon Carlo to the St. Louis Blues for two third-round picks in the 2026 NHL Draft: No. 73 and No. 76. Carlo, 29, is in the final season of a six-year, $24.6 million contract and will become an unrestricted free agen
The Toronto Maple Leafs made a sharp, numbers-first move—sending defenceman Brandon Carlo to the St. Louis Blues for two draft picks, both in the third round of the 2026 NHL Draft.
The return is straightforward: picks No. 73 and 76. For Toronto, it’s a calculated shift at a time when Carlo’s deal is reaching its final stretch, and St. Louis gets a proven, physical presence on the blue line.
Carlo is 29 and spent last season with the Maple Leafs, posting seven assists in 55 games while averaging 19:22 of ice time. He’s a 6-foot-5, right-shot defenceman entering the last season of a six-year, $24.6 million contract. That contract carries an annual cap hit of $3.485 million after the Boston Bruins retained a portion of his salary in the trade.
The trade also matters because of what comes next. Carlo is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2026-27 campaign.
Toronto didn’t acquire Carlo from scratch. He was brought in from the Boston Bruins in March of 2025. in exchange for forward Fraser Minten and two draft picks. His best run in Boston came in the 2019-20 campaign. when he recorded four goals and 19 points with a plus-16 rating while averaging 20:29 of ice time.
Carlo’s journey to this point began long before the trade buzz. Drafted 37th overall by the Bruins in 2015, he has collected 29 goals and 119 points in 692 career games split between the Bruins and Maple Leafs.
Even his international résumé starts to explain the player both teams see value in. The Colorado Springs, Colo., native represented the United States twice at the World Juniors, winning a bronze medal in 2016.
Now, with Carlo headed to the Blues for two specific picks—No. 73 and No. 76—the move lands with a clear message: Toronto is choosing future flexibility, while St. Louis is betting that Carlo’s blend of size, defensive reliability, and NHL experience can still move the needle.
Maple Leafs Brandon Carlo St. Louis Blues NHL trade 2026 NHL Draft pick No. 73 pick No. 76 contract unrestricted free agent