Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Brandon Carlo has suffered a setback in his recovery from a lower-body injury, head coach Craig Berube confirmed Monday via TSN’s Mark Masters.
The team will likely have more information about Carlo’s progress within the next 24 hours. Carlo has returned to Toronto to consult with a specialist. He was placed on injured reserve retroactive to November 13, and hasn’t played since suiting up against the Los Angeles Kings. It was previously expected that if Carlo was able to undergo a full practice Monday, he could be an option for Tuesday’s game against the Florida Panthers.
Carlo did not participate in Monday’s practice. The 29-year-old recorded two assists in 18 games this season.
It’s a tough loss for the Maple Leafs, who have faced several injuries this season. Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies and Nicolas Roy all returned to the lineup last week after multi-game, injury-related absences. Chris Tanev remains on injured reserve, but the team received some good news Monday, with Oliver Ekman-Larsson returning to practice. Ekman-Larsson left Saturday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins and did not return, due to an upper-body injury. Simon Benoit also returned to practice, after missing Saturday’s game to attend a funeral.
Carlo is a veteran presence for the Maple Leafs, capable of playing extended minutes and he resumed skating with the team on November 26. He was acquired from the Boston Bruins at last year’s trade deadline in exchange for Fraser Minten and a 2026 top-five protected first-round pick.
It doesn’t appear likely that he’ll be able to play in Thursday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes, and the earliest timeline for his return appears to be December 6, when the Leafs host the Montreal Canadiens.
Toronto squares off against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, a pivotal Atlantic Division clash.
The Leafs Nation will update this story as more details emerge.
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