Toronto Maple Leafs sneak in pair of last-minute trades on deadline day
The Toronto Maple Leafs appear to be sneaking in one more deal on trade deadline day.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Brandon Carlo is heading to Toronto from the Boston Bruins.
The 27-year-old defender has spent his whole NHL career in Boston since being drafted by them in the second round of the 2015 draft. He has one goal and eight assists in 63 games this season.
Carlo is under contract through 2026-27 with a US$4.1 million cap hit, though the Bruins may end up retaining part of that contract.
Given that Boston and Toronto have a lengthy rivalry, Carlo wasn’t exactly expecting to be sent to a divisional rival.
“A shocker,” Carlo told TSN on the air in the minutes following the move. “But what an opportunity for me.”
Details are still emerging with the trade, but Friedman added in a follow-up post that Toronto prospect Fraser Minten was headed the other way.
The Athletic’s James Mirtle added that the Leafs were adding a first-round pick, with “multiple trades” apparently underway.
Leafs are giving up a first, prospect and there are multiple trades involved here. Complicated deal(s) going on.
— James Mirtle (@mirtle) March 7, 2025
The secondary move was later confirmed to be defenceman Conor Timmins and forward Connor Dewar heading to the Pittsburgh Penguins, as per multiple reports including The Athletic’s Chris Johnston.
Connor Dewar is also heading to Pittsburgh from the #leafs.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) March 7, 2025
Johnston added in a follow-up post that the Leafs would be getting an additional draft pick from the Penguins in the deal, with the move made in order to clear salary from their books.
Minten, a second-round pick of Toronto in 2022, had put up two goals and two assists with the Leafs this year in 15 games, though he’d spent the bulk of the season with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.
Dewar and Timmins were also both in secondary roles for Toronto, having played 31 and 51 games respectively for Toronto. A fourth-line forward and a third-pairing defenceman, the duo seemed unlikely to see much ice time under Toronto’s ideal postseason roster.
The news of the two trades broke shortly after the NHL’s 3 p.m. EST deadline, which likely means the Leafs filed the moves to the league office just in time to make the deal official.
More to come…
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