Oilers Trade Targets: Can Edmonton Finally Land Brandon Carlo?
Brandon Carlo. (Natalie Reid-Imagn Images)With the acquisition of Trent Frederic and the Evander Kane situation still hanging over their heads, it's probably safe to assume the Edmonton Oilers' forward corps is set.
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It certainly seems that way -- The Athletic's Chris Johnston and Pierre LeBrun reported on Monday that the Oilers' priority was improving their defense. Whether that's the right move or not, it seems to be the plan.
At this point, the Oilers can only make a significant addition if they trade Kane or keep him on LTIR. In that case, they would have just over $4.5 million to play with. Four defensemen are available who fit that price range, and they've all been connected to the Oilers at one point: Boston's Brandon Carlo, Seattle's Jamie Oleksiak, Chicago's Connor Murphy, and Vancouver's Carson Soucy.
So, from now until Friday's deadline (or until they make this moot by trading for a defenseman), we will examine each of those players in turn to see how they would fit in Edmonton. We'll start with Trent Frederic's former Bruins teammate, Brandon Carlo.
Brandon Carlo. (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)The Player
Selected by the Boston Bruins in the second round of the 2015 draft, Carlo is in his ninth season on the Bruins' blueline. At 6'5" and 220 pounds, the right-handed Carlo is your prototypical big, bruising, shutdown defender.
His size has always made him a hot commodity around the league, especially before he signed his big extension in 2021, but the Bruins have always held onto him. That may change this year -- with two more seasons left after this one at a very attractive $4.1 million cap hit, the 28-year-old could garner a big return for the Bruins' retool.
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The Good
Carlo is the kind of defenceman every team wants, and the Oilers are no exception. Though he doesn't provide much in the way of offense, he profiles as an ideal defensive partner for Darnell Nurse on the second pair, one who can allow Nurse free reign to use his offensive skillset.
Carlo's biggest asset, however, is his contract. With the salary cap set to rise dramatically, $4.1 million is incredible value for a second-pair defenseman. Considering the massive raises coming up for Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard, having Carlo locked up at that rate would be a huge boon for the Oilers.
The Bad
Just as with Alex Tuch and Brock Nelson, the biggest issue for the Oilers is their lack of assets. A player with the amount of team control Carlo has will cost a pretty penny, and would certainly require the Oilers to give up one or both of top prospect Sam O'Reilly or their 2026 first-round pick.
That could be worth it -- a late first-round pick a year from now really shouldn't be the Oilers' main concern -- but it's a steep price to pay for a one-dimensional player like Carlo. If the choice is between using that pick on a scorer like Tuch or a defensive upgrade, the Oilers should prioritize offense.
The Verdict
As attractive as Carlo is, there are better places for the Oilers to spend their assets. Even if an offensive upgrade is off the table, other blueline options won't command the same return as Carlo. Edmonton's front office may have to wait a while longer for their white whale.
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