Maple Leafs notebook: Carlo blocking criticism of Minten trade

A Round 1 playoff preview perhaps. A measuring stick for two Eastern Conference titans. A civic referendum on hockey culture. Something grander than 60 minutes of entertainment as the frost evaporated off the Causeway’s flying Bobby Orr statue.

A couple of storied and good teams puffing their chests to see who’s better.

In 2024-25, you may recall, the Maple Leafs and Bruins were co-owners of the NHL’s longest active post-season streak at eight years.

Well, Boston ceded that title Toronto last March, and now the floundering Maple Leafs have spiked their own impressive playoff run, selling at the trade deadline and hoping for a Bruins-like rebound to relevance in 2026-27.

To that end, a top-five draft pick in 2026 would bless Leafs Nation with much-needed hope.

A prospect drafted between No. 6 and No. 10 overall that funnels into Boston’s system?

That’s a major yikes. And it would only further reflect poorly on GM Brad Treliving’s 2025 deadline deal for defenceman Brandon Carlo, which cost Toronto 21-year-old Fraser Minten and a 2026 first-round pick that is only protected through the top five.

Team Tank would prefer the Maple Leafs extend their losing skid Tuesday, when Treliving’s most criticized move will be on full display.

Whip-smart Minten has bulked up. He is in the throes of a breakout campaign, his first full one in the show. His 70 games, 16 goals, and 31 points are all career highs. 

Minten’s plus-22 rating leads all Bruins forwards. And he’s now centring playoff-bound Boston’s top line. David Pastrnak is on the man’s wing.

Boston coach Marco Sturm has likened Minten to another two-way pivot, L.A.’s Quinton Byfield, in the way the centre thinks the game.

“There are a lot of things you can’t teach,” Sturm told reporters of Minten’s hockey IQ, which was also raved about in Toronto. “That’s why he’s ahead of some other guys. He already had it. Even the teaching part, he gets it right away. He just has it. He’s lucky enough to be born with it.”

The flip side of the Minten trade, Carlo, has heard the criticism and admitted to reporters in Toronto on Monday that the fan base’s angst over move has been “a little bit” tough on him.

“If you’re gonna be in the NHL environment, there’s gonna be a lot of things you need to tune out throughout your career,” Carlo said. “Just put it in the category with most of those things and continue forward.”

Could the prospect-light Maple Leafs, who recently traded away depth centres Nicolas Roy and Scott Laughton, benefit from the service of the emerging Minten? No doubt.

To be fair, Carlo has battled a foot injury this season and has consistently professed his appreciation and desire to be a Leaf. He’s also under contract for a team-friendly $3.49-million cap hit next season, which makes him a valuable contributor if they get back in the mix and a valuable trade asset if they don’t.

And then there’s this nugget, which may surprise some: The Maple Leafs, at minus-29, have the worst goal differential in the Eastern Conference. Carlo (plus-9) is the only Leafs defenceman (minimum 12 games played) who has been on the ice for as many more goals for as goals against (36-36), despite starting only 45 per cent of his shifts in the offensive zone.

Carlo hasn’t hurt his new team. 

The catch is that where the Maple Leafs find themselves now — in search of picks, young impact players and centre depth — Carlo’s best game can’t make up for all of that.

Carlo is the rare player who has seen both sides of the Toronto-Boston rivalry. He predicts a competitive affair Tuesday, standings be damned.

“You know it’s going to be physical,” Carlo said.

And, because of their link, you know both Carlo and Minten will be scrutinized in this one.

Stolarz rebounds from Nylander scare

Despite Saturday’s unplanned visit to an Ottawa hospital and Monday’s recall of third-stringer Dennis Hildeby on an emergency basis, Anthony Stolarz is expected to start one half of this week’s back-to-back. (Coach Craig Berube hasn’t declared whether that’ll be in Boston, site of Stolarz’s original neck injury this season, or Wednesday at home versus the New York Rangers.)

An errant William Nylander warm-up shot caught the goaltender in the throat, making it difficult for him to breathe or talk for 30 or 40 minutes. 

Stolarz, who recovered from a nerve issue in his neck shortly before the Olympic break, went for imaging to make sure blood vessels weren’t damaged. He was cleared by the buzzer and traveled home with the club.

“I’m fine,” Stolarz told reporters in Toronto, after practising with some new neck protection. “It’s an occupational hazard. You get pucks coming at you anywhere from 70 to 100 miles an hour, they’re gonna catch you in a bad spot once in a while. Just kinda shock.” 

Nylander checked in on Stolarz immediately after his mistake and followed up with text messages before leaving Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday.

“I have certain spots where I shoot it, so they know where I’m shooting it all the time,” says Nylander, who was aiming glove. “Except for maybe the last shot we do in the half-moon, maybe you try to score. But other than that, I’m always doing the same shot.

“I feel really bad for that.”

Accidents happen. No real harm done.

“He’s good. It’s a one-off,” Stolarz said, shaking off the incident with a smile.

During the broadcast, Sportsnet analyst Craig Simpson suggested the onus is on Nylander to control his aim. A couple goaltenders we spoke to, though, suggested that goalies must never let their neck be exposed during shooting drills.

Soccer players cover their most sensitive bits when building a wall to block free kicks.

Auston Matthews even gave Stolarz a bit of advice: “Next time, keep your chin tucked.”

One-Timers: Morgan Rielly missed Saturday’s game in Ottawa due to a lower-body injury but returned to practice Monday and was a full participant…. Oliver Ekman-Larsson left practice early because “something was bugging him,” according to Berube. The coach assures the durable defenceman will be fine to play Tuesday…. Joseph Woll says he never took so many pucks in the head as he did Saturday in Ottawa: three. “My poor mask was taking a beating,” he chuckled. “It broke. We fixed it. It broke again. Check my brain after that game. That’s the most I’ve gotten hit in the head for sure.”… The Maple Leafs mentors’ trip is going down in Boston.

Maple Leafs’ projected lineup Tuesday in Boston:

Cowan – Tavares – Nylander 

Knies – Domi – Robertson 

Maccelli – Groulx – Joshua

Lorentz – Quillan – Järnkrok