Brandon Carlo's return will help Bruins defense, but will it be enough?

David Pastrnak had his best year as a pro. He had a staggering 80 points in the regular season, and another 20 in the playoffs. Of course, the Bruins' season ended abruptly but it was clear to see the growth in Pastrnak’s game.

Part of it could be chalked up to the fact it was his fourth season – a natural growth in a player’s progression. The other part of it could be credited to the sniff of playoff experience Pastrnak had two years ago against the Senators in the first round. It was the first time in the playoffs in his three years with the Bruins and he followed it up with a lights-out campaign this past season.

Brandon Carlo has a bright future with the Bruins, but so far he’s missed out on that same experience – one those in the organization consider a critical step in a young player’s development. He had a concussion in 2017 and missed that series against the Senators. This year he broke his right fibula on March 31 and missed the playoffs again.

The Bruins lamented the loss of their 21-year-old blue-liner, especially after they were outplayed and outmuscled by Tampa Bay in the second round.

“If you look at David Pastrnak’s playoff last year against Ottawa compared to this year, you see the growth in his game in the playoffs,” Bruins president Cam Neely said. “That’s the unfortunate thing about Brandon missing last year and this year. That development that you get in playoff hockey is, really, it’s something that every player needs to really get to the point where you can become this great playoff player.”

Carlo is not in jeopardy of missing the start of training camp because of the injury. He’s eager to get back on the ice and grow into the shutdown the defender the Bruins have envisioned he’d be.

What will those steps look like for the 6-foot-5, 208-pound defenseman, and how will they impact the state of the Bruins defense?



When the Bruins convened for their exit meetings, Carlo remained optimistic he’d be skating in four weeks. That gives him the entire summer to get the rust out of his stride before he returns in earnest to training camp.

Carlo couldn’t stand to watch another playoff series go by.

“It was pretty much like deja vu, I couldn’t believe I was up in the stands again for that first game [against Toronto],” Carlo said. “Seeing that atmosphere is something I was looking forward to and wanted to be a part of. It was tough, but it was impressive how those guys picked up the slack.”

After the surgery, which required Carlo to have a metal plate and screws inserted into his leg, he would sit on a chair and stick handle whenever he could.

Carlo’s absence threw the Bruins defensive pairings into a blender, which led to some of the biggest questions the team needs to address in the offseason. Carlo had paired with Torey Krug on the No. 2 line. Kevan Miller took his place and it was rough, especially against the Lightning. Krug’s offensive ability is unmatched at the blue line, but the defensive effort sorely struggled.

They gave up 10 goals during five-on-five play and scored five, according to Corsica Hockey, a glaring discrepancy.

Carlo has his work cut out for him. He only scored six points, all assists, down from the six goals and 10 assists he notched in his rookie season. He was still a plus-player in both seasons, but the Bruins want to see him improve the physical aspect of his game. Carlo’s still young, but he has the body type that could make him a big impact on the blue line.

“When I am making those mistakes, or when somebody gets around me, it’s because of that physical aspect,” Carlo said. “I know it's not going to be that hard of a fix, but at the same time, I don't want to be too focused on that if it affects other parts. It’s a fine line.”

The greater question is what other improvements the team will decide to make to boost the second pairing. Krug is the chief of the power play and an impressive puck mover. Those skills are hard to come by, but it’s fair to question whether it’s worth the defensive deficiencies.

Perhaps the Bruins pursue a more stout defending, left-shot defenseman and move on from Krug. Matt Grzelcyk, who’s the same 5-foot-9 as Krug, had a strong season on the third pairing. The game is changing to a more speed oriented game, but two 5-9 defenders, who play a similar game, seems like a hard sell.

We’ve discussed the options for the Bruins here and here. One thing that hasn’t really been discussed yet is whether the Bruins find a stronger defenseman to put behind Krug on the third pairing. But that depends on two things: whether Carlo’s development will be enough to solidify the second pairing, and whether the team would be OK with limiting Grzelcyk’s time. The latter point seems like the bigger hurdle. Why suppress a player who made big strides in his rookie season?

The Bruins are greatly looking forward to Carlo’s return. The problem is that they have greater questions beyond that, and answering them will be a priority this offseason.