The Bruins announced today, September 17th, that they have resigned defenseman Brandon Carlo to a two-year contract worth $5.7 million ($2.85 million AAV). Carlo appeared in 72 games for the Bruins last season, in which he produced two goals and eight assists. He then played in all 24 of the team’s playoff games on their run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, through which he tallied two goals and two assists. Drafted in the second round (37th overall) of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft by the Bruins, Carlo has appeared in 230 career NHL games, over which he has recorded eight goals and 24 assists. The 22-year-old defenseman has only played for the Bruins organization over his slightly over three season NHL and professional career.
Full Contract Breakdown:
- 2019-20: $2.2 million base salary, no signing bonus.
- 2020-21: $3.5 million base salary, no signing bonus.
My Reaction: Another steal by Sweeney! I was expecting Carlo to get around $4-$4.5 million on a long-term deal this summer, and I really didn’t think he’d go for a short-term deal. Once McAvoy signed, those thoughts changed and I figured he’d go for the rest of the money ($3.2 million) for three years. I must say I’m rather happy that I was wrong! Not only did he take a little less than what was left, but he’s now off the same contract schedule as McAvoy, meaning that their contracts will be up at different times, which should make negotiations go much smoother next time. Both will be arbitration eligible as well, so there will almost certainly not be another long holdout like there was this year, which is great news.
My opinions and those others things aside, Carlo is certainly worth more than he’s getting. At just 22 years old, he’s an outstanding shutdown defender in the league, and he’ll only get better from here. He’ll never put up much in the way of points, but that’s not too important since every team needs a reliable shutdown defender, which Carlo certainly is and will continue to be for the Bruins. If nothing else, he proved that in the playoffs last season, which was all the more impressive given it was his first taste of the NHL playoffs and they made it all the way to the Cup Final, where the pressure is at it’s highest. But, it didn’t seem to affect him at all, which speaks to his confidence in his abilities and as well as his ability to tune out all the noise around him and just focus on being the best player he can be every time he’s on the ice.
Carlo also lets the game come to him and adjusts quickly to the pace of it, and he’s a smooth skater. He controls the puck and transition well, especially considering he’s a defensive defenseman, and he’s got a high hockey IQ and makes great decisions in all three zones. He’s also a big body, and although he’s not known as a physical player, he’s become more so lately and has at least shown he can be if necessary. Overall, he plays a complete game with very few, if any, holes in it, and as young as he is, he’ll only continue to improve from here. This contract is yet another brilliant move by Sweeney, and he again proves his worth and ability to sign great players to incredibly team-friendly deals.. It’s another great day to be a Bruins fan!
Hockey Addict 