The 2024-25 NHL season was one to forget in more ways than one for the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, it’s safe to say Auston Matthews and the rest of the team will need time to put it behind them. That said, the Leafs aren’t looking to start completely fresh, as reports indicate the organization hopes to keep one of Brad Marchand’s former teammates around.
The 2025 NHL offseason is shaping up to be one for the history books in Toronto. Whether it will be remembered fondly or with regret remains a mystery. One thing is certain: the winds of change are blowing through Hogtown, and the Maple Leafs are heading into the upcoming season with a very different lineup. Hope remains the team’s mindset will change, too.
Mitch Marner’s departure has only increased the pressure on Matthews and the Maple Leafs. The captain is now without his longtime sidekick, but the expectations remain unchanged: bring the Stanley Cup back to Hogtown. Last season’s second-round elimination will linger as a stark reminder of the disappointment the Leafs are determined never to experience again.
Turn the tide
Toronto knows there are several players who must pick up the pace after disappointing campaigns. Among them, Marchand’s former teammate in Boston, Brandon Carlo. While his underwhelming production in 2025 is concerning, reports suggest it’s not discouraging enough for the Leafs to actively shop him around the NHL.
Brad Marchand #63 of the Boston Bruins and Brandon Carlo #25 look on during the first period against the Buffalo Sabres at TD Garden on December 21, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts.
“I’d be a little bit surprised if the Leafs were willing to part with Brandon Carlo. I don’t see it,” insider David Pagnotta commented in dialogue with The JD Bunkis Podcast.
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From Beantown to The Six
After years of fantasizing about Marchand’s potential arrival in Toronto, the Maple Leafs might be looking at Carlo’s first season with the team and realizing that the enemies-to-lovers narrative isn’t always as ideal as it seems.
After trading Fraser Minten, a 2025 4th round, and a 2026 conditional 1st round selection for the former Bruin, Carlo couldn’t help the Maple Leafs reach their first Conference Final since 2002.
Moreover, the trade-deadline acquisition’s production fell well short of Toronto’s hopes. The 28-year-old blueliner appeared in 20 regular-season games for the Leafs, recording just three assists. He also played in every postseason game but was held off the scoresheet entirely, finishing with a -4 plus/minus rating.
Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs arrives for a media opportunity during the 2019 NHL All-Star Media Day at the City National Civic Auditorium on January 24, 2019 in San Jose, California.
Another try
Regardless, the sample size is extremely small, and the Maple Leafs know better than to lose hope so soon. As it stands, Carlo is set to enter the fifth season of the six-year deal he signed in 2021 with Marchand’s Bruins.
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Boston retained 15% of his salary, leaving Matthews’ Maple Leafs responsible for allocating just $3.485 million annually against the cap. That figure makes Carlo only the fifth-highest-paid defenseman on the roster in terms of cap hit.
