The Toronto Maple Leafs just can’t seem to catch a break on the blue line.
Brandon Carlo is the latest name to join the team’s growing injury list after tweaking something during Wednesday night’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings. There’s no official word yet on the severity, but early signs suggest Carlo could be day-to-day until head coach Craig Berube provides more clarity. For a team already stretched thin defensively, this is another tough blow.
Carlo’s season has been anything but smooth. He’s already missed a significant chunk of time after undergoing foot surgery in December, and his injury issues actually date back to November. Just as he was starting to find his rhythm again, this latest setback throws another wrench into the Leafs’ defensive plans.
And the timing couldn’t be worse. The Leafs were already without Chris Tanev, who’s missed most of the season, and now Oliver Ekman-Larsson is expected to be sidelined after leaving Wednesday’s game with a lower-body injury. That’s three key pieces of the defensive puzzle potentially out, and it leaves Toronto scrambling to fill some major gaps.
Carlo’s role can’t be overstated. He’s been the Leafs’ go-to shutdown option, logging heavy minutes against top competition and anchoring a penalty kill that’s been trending in the right direction.
His pairing with Morgan Rielly had started to bring more balance to the back end, freeing up Rielly to play a more aggressive, offensive style. Without Carlo, that dynamic changes - and not for the better.
If Carlo does miss time, the Leafs may turn to Dakota Mermis and Philippe Myers to step in. Mermis hasn’t played since suffering an injury in December against the Lightning, while Myers has had an up-and-down season, struggling to find consistency in his game. Neither option is ideal, especially heading into what could be one of the most critical stretches of the season.
Toronto continues its five-game homestand on Friday night - a game that carries extra weight as Mitch Marner returns to Scotiabank Arena for the first time since his offseason departure. But the bigger storyline might be how the Leafs navigate this defensive crisis. With Tanev, Ekman-Larsson, and now potentially Carlo all out, the team’s depth will be tested in a major way.
Simply put, the Leafs need bodies - and fast. But more than that, they need stability on the back end. And right now, that feels like a tall order.