Brandon Carlo

Set to enter his seventh NHL season, Carlo has turned into a valuable third-pairing defender for Boston. He plays upwards of 20 minutes per game every year, although it's not a role that has led to much fantasy production. Carlo has never posted more than 19 points in any one campaign, and he has just one power-play point in his NHL career. Carlo might help the Bruins win hockey games, but you can look elsewhere on draft day.

It was an injury-riddled season for Carlo in 2020-21, as he spent an extended amount of time on the sidelines on multiple occasions, including when he suffered an upper-body injury in early March following a dirty hit from Washington villian Tom Wilson. All told, Carlo played in 27 of Boston's 56 regular-season games, managing three goals and four points. What's most concerning, other than the injuries, is the fact Carlo averaged just 18:43 worth of ice time per game, by far the lowest mark of his career. Toss in the fact Carlo doesn't have a single power-play point through his first five NHL seasons and fantasy managers can stay far away this coming year.

Carlo had one of his best seasons yet as a pro in 2019-20, setting career highs in assists (15) and points (19) while averaging 20:29 of ice time per contest in a top-four role. The 24-year-old American has grown into a formidable shut-down defender and will continue to log heavy minutes, particularly as a penalty-killer, in 2020-21, but he won't produce enough points to pique virtual managers' interest in most formats.

Carlo, who logged two goals and 10 points in 72 games last season, isn't much of a fantasy factor, but the 6-foot-5, 212-pounder has developed into a reliable shut-down defender for the Bruins. He's obviously someone the team would like to keep around with the clock ticking on the NHL career of 42-year-old Zdeno Chara. At press time, however, the 22-year-old remains an unsigned restricted free agent.

Prior to sustaining a season-ending broken fibula, the 21-year-old logged six helpers and 45 PIM in 76 games. While Carlo's play was uneven at times, the 2015 second-rounder was playing some of his best hockey as a pro before being knocked out for the season. Looking ahead, Carlo is in line to reclaim a regular role on the blue line this season. The 6-foot-5, 208-pounder doesn't profile as a force on offense, but he does have enough skill to easily eclipse his 2017-18 numbers, as he continues to contribute a solid level of shutdown play.

Still only 20 years old, Carlo is already a fixture on Boston’s blue line after finishing up the 2016-17 regular season with six goals and 16 points in a full 82 games. The 6-foot-3, 203-pounder -- a second-round pick in 2015 -- was paired with veteran Zdeno Chara (who’s old enough to be his father) and more than held his own in the process, logging an average of 20:49 on the ice per game. While Carlo isn't a dynamic force on offense, he can contribute some on that front as well as some PIM (59 last year), and most of the trade rumors that swirled around the Bruins this offseason referenced the 6-foot-5 defender as a possible chip. Short of a stunning offer, the Bruins are in no mood to move Carlo, a potential shutdown rearguard who’s being groomed to serve as a future pillar of the team’s blue line.

Carlo, who turns 20 in November, has a chance to compete for a bottom-pairing slot on the Bostin blue line this fall, given that the Bruins did not make any significant moves to upgrade their D corps in the short-term this offseason. Listed at 6-foot-5, 203 pounds, Carlo profiles as a solid two-way defender at the NHL level, though his offensive ceiling as a pro may be somewhat limited, on the heels of a 2015-16 season in which he notched four goals and 27 points for WHL Tri-City. While the 2015 second-rounder can't be expected to morph into a direct replacement aging back line pillar Zdeno Chara, Carlo's size and long reach could develop into strong assets on the team's blue line by the time Chara's standout stint with the franchise winds down.