The strange rumor linking Brandon Carlo (once again) to the CH

It's been nearly two and a half months since the Canadiens went on break, and yet Montreal's defensive corps remains the same as it was in their last few games against the Hurricanes.

Matheson – Dobson
Guhle – Hutson
Struble – Carrier

Xhekaj (still unsigned)

Perhaps Adam Engstrom will replace Arber Xhekaj on the roster if the latter is traded, but that wouldn't exactly be a significant improvement.

The need to acquire a right-handed defenseman with both defensive and physical skills remains.

We heard a lot about Rasmus Ristolainen, Colton Parayko, and Zach Whitecloud around the trade deadline, but there was another name being discussed in the Canadiens' front office: Brandon Carlo.

When the Maple Leafs and the Habs were talking about Matthew Knies, they were also discussing Brandon Carlo, according to several reliable sources. However, once the trade deadline passed and Carlo was still in Toronto, the plan pretty much fell through. Just like with Knies, really…

However, Anthony Di Marco (DailyFaceoff) and Geoff Hannah (NHL Trade Rumor) have each revived the possibility of Carlo being traded to the Montreal Canadiens by the start of the season.

The Canadiens are linked to Brandon Carlo, and the fit is intriguing.

6'5″
Right-handed
Penalty-killing specialist
$3.485M effective cap hit

But I wouldn't give St. Louis a first-round pick.

Would you make the trade?https://t.co/vVeoDNRt0P

— NHL Trade Rumors (@nhltraderumours) August 9, 2026

Yes, Carlo is 29 years old and stands 6'5″…

Yes, he's right-handed and capable of playing physically…

Yes, he's solid defensively, especially on the penalty kill…

And yes, his contract—which expires in less than a year—would be perfect for the Habs.

But there's one detail that makes this rumor a bit far-fetched: Carlo was traded to the Blues on June 27, in exchange for the 73rd and 76th picks in the 2026 amateur draft. In short, the Blues paid to acquire him a month and a half ago; I can't see them trading him away before he's even played a single game in St. Louis.

We're not talking about a Jeff Petry or Casey DeSmith-style trade here—those players were acquired to convince the Penguins to take Mike Hoffman. The Blues acquired Brandon Carlo because they wanted him—that's it.

If the Habs had wanted to get their hands on Carlo at market value, they would have acquired him on June 27. Now it's too late. At least until the next trade deadline, if the Blues are still struggling this season…

For now, we'll have to look elsewhere.

It's worth noting that Brandon Carlo hasn't scored a single goal in 88 games (regular season and playoffs) with the Maple Leafs. He would have been a REALLY interesting defensive option for the Habs.