The Colorado Avalanche are in a desperate search for a top-pairing reliable defenseman, but is Brandon Carlo the right fit?
With each passing day, more rumors emerge around the Colorado Avalanche. However, one of the more persistent ones this season involves Brandon Carlo of the Boston Bruins.
The rumor also involves Gabe Landeskog because the Bruins need a power-forward left winger, and Landy definitely fits that bill.
Now, the rumor did go cold for awhile because the Bruins were apparently unwilling to trade Carlo; however, the rumors have heated up once more in the last few days.
Nonetheless, is this the type of trade the Avs should make? Is trading Landeskog a good idea, first of all? Secondly, is Carlo really worth his salt?
Let’s do a bit of analyzing, as once again the trade rumors involve Landeskog and a defenseman I’m just not sure about.
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To my estimation, Landeskog is too valuable on a club that lacks depth on the wing. And Carlo is too unproven to consider without some nice complimentary pieces.
Nonetheless, the Avs could use a shutdown defenseman, and that is precisely what Carlo is.
Carlo is a Good Player
Carlo is a defensive defenseman through and through, however, he is still on pace for 17 points in his rookie season.
He is also only twenty years old, and is probably being pushed into a role he’s not quite suited for yet. Nonetheless, he’s come through with flying colors, despite seeing a little dip in performance recently. Here’s some more about him from Elite Prospects:
"Brandon Carlo is an industrious, shift-by-shift defenseman who lets the game come to him rather than chasing the play; he is able to quickly adapt to the pace of the game on the fly. Through maneuvering his way around the ice and making high-percentage, skilled decisions in all three zones, he is able to shut opposition offense down before it begins to take shape. Carlo is a smooth skater who can control the puck very well and get into open areas for scoring chances; that being said, he does and will need help finding offense due to his natural defensive style of play. All-in-all, a towering, defensive d-man that has very few holes in his game and is physically ready to make the next step."
He plays top-pairing minutes with Zdeno Chara, and averages just under 22 minutes a game. He also sports a 52.7 Corsi-for percentage, and he is second on the team in defensive zone starts with a whopping 56.3 percent of his shifts beginning in his own end.
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In other words, it’s easy to forget that he is only 20 years old when he is playing with that kind of responsibility on his shoulders.
However, he is most certainly still learning, and would not have the same type of defensive support he has in Colorado as he currently does in Boston.
Some Snags with the Trade
There are definitely some snags with this trade that might make it an impossibility.
For example, the lack of defensive support in Colorado could unfortunately hinder Carlo’s development. And, that is certainly a risk the Avalanche would be taking in this trade.
Furthermore, if the Bruins were reportedly unwilling to give up Carlo for Landeskog, then the price is high for the young kid.
Which basically means that the Avs would be looking at a 1-for-1 trade involving Landeskog and Carlo. And that kind of trade is simply not worth it for the Avs. They should be looking to acquire a couple prospects and a draft pick or two for Landeskog.
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Finally, as I detailed in another article, Landeskog is just simply not worth a top-pairing defenseman. Even though Carlo is by no means a proven top-pairing defenseman, he seems to be doing a pretty good job of it this year.
The Avs need to make sure that, if they complete a trade involving Landeskog, the return is sufficient. If the Bruins are unwilling to part with Carlo, and at least a draft pick, then the trade simply isn’t worth it.
Unfortunately, the Avs may be overvaluing Landeskog and may find it extremely difficult to get what they desire in return for him. Carlo is worth it for his projected ceiling alone, but he is not worth it in a 1-for-1 deal. And, the Bruins may be thinking the same thing about Landeskog.
Conclusion
The Colorado Avalanche need to cautiously approach any potential deal that involves either Gabe Landeskog or Matt Duchene. Both Players are extremely valuable assets to the Avs, and both players have a lot of value on the trade market.
So, any trade that involves their names needs to be scrutinized heavily, and eradicated of all potential weaknesses. However, due to what the Avs are asking for in return, teams are going to have the same response to the Avs. That is inevitable of course.
Nonetheless, we’re talking about a single chance to get this right. Which is why the Avs are taking all the necessary time they need before the trade deadline.
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Joe Sakic most definitely has his pro scouts watching all the teams he has interest in. And, said pro scouts are certainly coming to Sakic with their own ideas as well. Therefore, it is conceivable that Carlo is just being scouted with more scrutiny before a deal is made.
However, it is more likely that the Bruins and Avs just can’t come to an agreement on the value of both players in question. And I am frankly alright with that.
It would be nice to have a Colorado-born defenseman of Carlo’s caliber on the blue, but is he really worth a straight up 1-for-1 deal involving Landeskog? I think not.