When Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney traded Brandon Carlo to the Toronto Maple Leafs last March at the trade deadline, it was tough for Boston fans to grasp their rugged blueliner heading to a heated division rival.
At the time, the return had to be a good one for Sweeney to send Carlo to Toronto. As it turned out, the return was worth it, and it is paying off big time for the Bruins. Sweeney received prospect Fraser Minten, the Maple Leafs' first-round draft pick in this June's Entry Draft, which is Top 5 protected, along with a fourth-round pick in last June's draft, which was defenseman Vashek Blanar.
Toronto is floundering near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, and depending on how the Lottery Draft falls, they could have their first-round pick this year. If Boston makes the playoffs, they may not care.
Bruins fleeced Maple Leafs in Brandon Carlo trade
Minten has been a huge part of the Black and Gold's lineup this season. He is producing at a high level and is coming off a month of January where he had 16 points in 15 games and now has 14 goals and 15 assists on the season. On a recent episode of OverDrive, Bryan Hayes said what Toronto fans are figuring out: they got fleeced.
"I look at Brandon Carlo, who the Leafs got fleeced'' said Hayes. "I mean, there's no other way to put it. The trade is going to look worse and worse and worse. I get (Carlo) was a right shot and is younger, and (Boston) ate some of the money, but Carlo is not a better player than (Oliver) Ekman-Larsson, and they got Minten and a first. The Leafs need to find the next team that is desperate.''
It's hard to imagine where the two teams were at the trade deadline and where they are now. There is no guarantee that Boston makes the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but they are moving ahead a little quicker in their retool than Boston thought they would be at right now, and part of it is thanks to the Maple Leafs.