Brandon Carlo
Carlo has grown up with the Bruins and at 6-foot-5, his long reach can still be a weapon to frustrate opponents. This season, he dealt with injuries, including a concussion, which limited him to just 27 games in the 56-game season.
When Krug and Chara left in free agency last offseason, Carlo was expected to be a foundation piece with Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk to rebuild the defense around the trio. Carlo, along with Lauzon, were key pieces to the Boston penalty-killing unit this season and a reason why they finished ranked second in the regular season behind the Vegas Golden Knights.
Carlo was injured in Game 3 of the second-round series against the Islanders when he took a hit from Cal Clutterbuck in the third period of a 2-1 Bruins overtime victory. Carlo did not return for the final three games, which were all Bruins’ losses.
A restricted free agent this summer, Boston still sees Carlo as a piece of the future and a key body for next season with the core group and making a run for another Stanley Cup championship.