Opinion: Who Benefits the Most After the Orlov Arrival?

Boston Bruins' Jeremy Swayman (1), Charlie McAvoy (73), Hampus Lindholm (27) and Brandon Carlo (25) celebrate after defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets during an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

When the Boston Bruins acquired defenseman Dmitry Orlov along with Garnet Hathaway from the Washington Capitals before the trade deadline, General Manager Don Sweeney was looking to provide depth at left defense and a physical upgrade from Matt Grzelcyk, who has had difficulty with the physicality of playoff hockey in recent postseasons. What has also occurred with the acquisition of Orlov is the renewed effectiveness of defenseman Brandon Carlo.

Carlo is a solid, stay-at-home defenseman who has had his fair share of injuries and ups and downs as a member of the Boston Bruins over the last seven seasons. The 2015 second-round draft pick played a full 82 games as a 20-year-old in his first season in the NHL. In that first season, Carlo played an average of 20:49 of ice time and recorded 115 blocks with 87 hits. The 6-foot-6, 220-pound defenseman immediately became an important core member of the Bruins, but fans always seemed to want more. In their eyes, Carlo was never physical enough and did not play the same style as fellow defender Zdeno Chara. Carlo’s toughness was questioned. Then injuries would cause the Colorado native to miss postseason time, leaving fans to wonder if Carlo would ever meet his potential.

This season, Carlo started slowly but had come on since the trade that brought Orlov on board. Now Carlo can focus on not providing offense and does not have to bring the physical game to offset Grzelcyk’s skating, puck-moving style. Carlo is able to be a force on the penalty kill and registered 4:41 of shorthanded ice time in the Bruins’ Game 4 win Sunday. Carlo spent an average of 18:50 on ice in the regular season, which is down almost two minutes from his career average. The big defenseman seems refreshed and has returned to the shutdown defender the Bruins drafted in 2015.

The biggest thing for Carlo has always been his confidence level. Carlo is more assertive with the puck and makes fewer mistakes in his own zone. The Bruins have three top blue liners in Orlov, Hampus Lindholm, and Charlie McAvoy, and they all play big minutes. A lot of the pressure is taken off of Carlo now, and it shows in his play, with 13 blocks in the four playoff games.

Brandon Carlo has changed from being a frustrating player for Bruins fans to becoming a great value at 4.1 million dollars per season for the next four seasons. The 26-year-old Carlo is now an unsung hero in these playoffs and a reason why the Bruins are a win away from moving on to the second round.

Season 4. Episode 34. Marco? Polo? Bruins Benders Podcast

 Join the Bruins Benders Podcast as they cover the HOTTEST topics in the Boston Bruins market, along with…- Who will be the next Bruins coach? Sturm? Woodcroft? Leach?- Swayman wins gold with Team USA at the World Championships. Good sign?- Max Comtois has been linked to the Bruins? Thoughts?- Some Bruins' coaches on the way out, will the new coach be able to bring in his own guys?& Much More!Bruins Benders Premium Hoodies $55https://shop.insidetherink.com/products/get-bent-premium-hoodieBruins Benders Long Sleeve Tee $40https://shop.insidetherink.com/products/bruins-benders-long-sleeve-tee-1Bruins Benders Tee $30https://shop.insidetherink.com/products/bruins-benders-t-shirt-1For more from us, visit: insidetherink.com/bruins-bendersBoston Bruins Trade Rumors, Boston Bruins News, Boston Bruins, Jeremy Swayman, Joonas Korpisalo, Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, Nikita Zadorov, Hampus Lindholm, Mason Lohrei, Andrew Peeke, Parker Wotherspoon, Johnny Beecher, Mark Kastelic, Justin Brazeau, Cole Koepke, Trent Frederic, Matthew Poitras, Charlie Coyle, Pavel Zacha, Morgan Geekie, Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, Elias Lindholm, Oliver Wahlstrom, Fabian Lysell, Georgii Merkulov, Joe Sacco, Don Sweeney, Cam Neely, Brandon Carlo Trade#nhl #nhlbruins #hockey #bostonbruins #nhlplayoffs #bruins #nhlhockey #nhlmemes #boston #nhlallstar #nhldiscussion #nhlnews #nhledits #nhldraft #bruinsnation #nhlawards #nhltrade #hockeylife #tdgarden #nhlhighlights #bostonsports #bruinshockey #bruinsfan #nhlblackhawks #nhlglobalseries #nhlfi #nhlleafs #nhltrades #nhltradedeadline #nhlcanadiens #nhl #nhlnews #hockey #nhlhockey #nhlplayoffs #nhledits #nhldiscussion #nhlmemes #nhldraft #nhlallstar #hockeylife #hockeynews #hockeymemes #nhlhighlights #icehockey #sports #hockeyislife #nhlbruins #hockeyplayers #hockeyfan #hockeyplayer #hockeyedits #stanleycup #nhlawards #hockeygame #hockeyboys #hockeygram #hockeyfights #nhltrade #nhltrades 
  1. Season 4. Episode 34. Marco? Polo?
  2. Season 4. Episode 33. Sweens Extension
  3. Season 4. Episode 32. Dude, Where's My Coach?
  4. Season 4. Episode 31. The Draft Lottery
  5. Season 4. Episode 30. The Bruins Are Watching The Playoffs

Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Leave a Reply

AHL: Eric Dubois Heads Overseas to ERC Ingolstadt

The Manitoba Moose announced on Friday, May 30th, that Eric Dubois has joined the DEL club ERC Ingolstadt as an assistant coach. Dubois, 55, served as an assistant coach with the Manitoba Moose for nine seasons when he joined the club back in 2016. The Moose posted a 292-264-34-23 record in Dubois’ nine seasons as […]

Read More
Kashawn Aitcheson physicality

2025 NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Kashawn Aitcheson

Kashawn Aitcheson is a 6-foot-1, 198-pound left-shot defenceman from Toronto, Ontario. Born on September 21st, 2006, Aitcheson narrowly missed the cutoff for the 2024 NHL Draft, and is one of the oldest prospects in the 2025 class. Aitcheson has spent the last three seasons with the Barrie Colts of the OHL. He was also selected […]

Read More
Stuart Skinner

Opinion: Oilers’ Stuart Skinner Showing Some Steadiness Between the Pipes

When it comes to Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner, one never knows what they are going to get. On one hand, one might see a version of Skinner, 26, who stands tall, comes up with big saves, does not get out of position, and does not allow soft goals. When this version of Skinner is […]

Read More