Boston Bruins: Brandon Carlo Was US Secretary of Defense
Boston Bruins: Brandon Carlo Was US Secretary of Defense
Even though the United States hockey team couldn’t do better than a bronze medal in the World Junior Championships, for Boston Bruins fans it was chance to see who the torch may be passed onto on the blue line.
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Defenseman Brandon Carlo got plenty of notice with a very strong performance while in Helsinki. He was one of only four defensemen to score two goals in seven games, and his +9 was better than every defenseman but his partner, Zach Werenski, who led all players with a +10.
Carlo is a mountain of a man. Just six weeks past his 19th birthday, Carlo is listed as being 6’5″ tall and weighing in at 201 pounds. He had impressive numbers at the WJC, with 2 goals, 2 assists, and a plus ten. He played alongside Columbus Blue Jackets first round pick Werenski, and not only were they the top defensive unit for the US, they may have been the best defensive duo of all ten teams.
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Bruins fans who watched the tournament probably cannot wait for Carlo to get to Causeway Street. He is a prototypical shutdown defenseman from Colorado Springs, CO, who plays for the Tri-City Americans in the Western Hockey League. He has surprising agility and quickness in his skating ability, and he is not afraid to drop the gloves when he has to.
Carlo’s toughness is evident whether it’s on the international stage or in juniors. His play at the WJC prompted NHL Network color analyst Dave Starman to describe Carlo as “a brick wall, who also showed a really good skating ability. I think his skating has improved from last year to the point where now he can move along and make a serious assault at an NHL career.”
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Since 1997, the Bruins have had a defenseman with extraordinary size manning the blue line. Hal Gill, (6’5″, 243 lbs.) did so until 2006. Then Zdeno Chara (6’9″, 255 lbs.) came along, and he is under contract until the end of the 2017-18 season. At that point, Chara will be 41 years old, while Carlo will be 21. What better way for the youngster to take the torch from the veteran at some point in between.