The Edmonton Oilers are in the market to acquire a defenceman this season, and one possibility could be Bruins defender Brandon Carlo - who will reportedly cost a second round draft pick and roster player in a trade.
The Oilers have been connected to Carlo previously this season in trade rumours as they seek to solidify their blueline heading into a critical playoff run.
Boston Bruins asking price for Brandon Carlo should be affordable for Edmonton Oilers
Brandon Carlo is a 6'5, 220 pound right shot defenceman with 610 games of NHL experience, including 72 more in playoff games. He's signed for the next three years at $4.1M, an amount that will get relatively cheaper as the salary cap increases.
According to a report from Jimmy Murphy of RG, the Bruins are actively fielding calls to move Carlo with a preferred price in mind.
If the Bruins decided to move him before the NHL Trade Deadline, this source believes they would want a roster player and either a 2025 second-round pick or a 'top' prospect.- Jimmy Murphy
The asking price of a second round pick and a roster player should be very manageable for the Oilers, depending on who the roster player is. The Oilers may have some depth forwards to dangle in trade, or perhaps a player like Troy Stecher - anything more wouldn't be worth it.
However, Carlo isn't producing quality results on the Bruins at all this season, which may be an indication of why the team is moving on from a $4M player for just a second round pick and a roster player.
Edmonton Oilers have 7 games to make a decision on John Klingberg
The Oilers had a clear need for a right shot defenceman prior to signing John Klingberg, but the new defenceman has come with some risk. The 31 year old Klingberg hadn't played in a year and a half, and had poor results before his major injury.
In 5 games with the Oilers so far, Klingberg has performed well enough, but the Oilers will need to decide if they're comfortable with him in their top 4 for a critical playoff run. It still could make sense that they acquire some defence insurance behind Klingberg.
The Oilers only have 7 games before the trade deadline to decide if they need to trade for another defenceman, or roll with Klingberg through the playoffs. If their best option is Brandon Carlo, they may just be better off calling up Josh Brown, a similar AHL defenceman.
