Maple Leafs’ Brandon Carlo Faces Unexpected Foot Surgery—Can He Make a Comeback This Season?
Brandon Carlo, the stalwart defenseman for the Toronto Maple Leafs, is sidelined for roughly a month following foot surgery—an unwelcome blow for a team juggling its blue line depth. Since November 13th, when he last took to the ice against the Los Angeles Kings, Carlo has been absent due to a nagging lower-body injury. Despite his efforts to rejoin the lineup during the Leafs’ recent road trip and even getting some skating in, a setback forced him back home for surgery on December 3rd. Head coach Craig Berube cautiously estimates a month-long recovery, though the exact timeline hinges on how well his foot heals—a variable that keeps the team waiting in anxious anticipation. Acquired from the Boston Bruins in a trade last season, Carlo’s presence has been a significant component of Toronto’s defensive rotation, averaging over 20 minutes of ice time per game. Meanwhile, the Leafs are also contending with injuries to Chris Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Dakota Mermis, making the recovery and return of Carlo all the more critical for the squad’s stability. LEARN MORE
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Brandon Carlo will be out for a month after undergoing foot surgery.
Carlo hasn’t been in Toronto’s lineup since Nov. 13 against the Los Angeles Kings due to a lower-body injury. The 29-year-old defender joined the Maple Leafs on their most recent road trip and had skated before having to return to Toronto on Dec. 1 after a setback.
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Two days later, on Dec. 3, Carlo underwent foot surgery, which Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube says has a recovery time of about a month. It’s unknown how Carlo initially picked up the injury.
“I mean, at some point, he’ll be able to get on the ice and skate,” Berube added on Friday after an optional practice. “I don’t know that timeline right now. It depends on the healing process, right?”
Carlo has two points and averaged 20:04 of ice time in 18 games this season.
The Maple Leafs acquired the defenseman from the Boston Bruins at the trade deadline last season. Toronto sent Fraser Minten, a conditional 2026 first-round pick, and a 2025 fourth-round pick to Boston. The Bruins also retained $615,000 of Carlo’s $4.10 million salary.
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The Maple Leafs are only paying the defenseman $3.49 million for the next season and a half.
Toronto is also dealing with injuries to Chris Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson (who could skate on Saturday), and Dakota Mermis, who took a knee from Tampa Bay Lightning forward Gage Golcalves on Monday night.
With Tanev, the veteran defenseman is getting a second opinion. He’s been out with an upper-body injury since leaving a game against the Philadelphia Flyers on a stretcher on Nov. 1. Ekman-Larsson’s injury isn’t as serious as once thought, and he will test out his leg at Saturday’s morning skate ahead of a game against the Edmonton Oilers. Mermis will be out for at least a month.
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