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Bruins sign Brandon Carlo to a two-year deal

September 18, 2019, 2:20 PM ET [2 Comments]
Anthony Travalgia
Boston Bruins Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Tuesday morning the Bruins announced the signing of defenseman Brandon Carlo to a two-year contract worth $5.7 million. The signing came two days after the Bruins signed Charlie McAvoy to a three-year contract.

Both Carlo and McAvoy were restricted free agents, the last two unsigned RFA’s the Bruins had.

“I also, to be honest with you, want to take full responsibility for the days that Brandon has missed,” general manager Don Sweeney said Tuesday afternoon. “We ask every one of our players, our staff, everyone to continue to try to do things better and improve, and I think this is more of a reflection that I could have done a better job in this case in not allowing him to miss any time. So that’s on me, a hundred percent on me.”

Much like the McAvoy deal, Sweeney and the Bruins got exactly what they wanted with Carlo’s contract. A bridge deal, at a respectable cap hit that doesn’t completely cripple them cap-wise. And most importantly, at the end of Carlo’s contract he becomes a RFA once again.

A long-term deal was the road Carlo wanted to take, but with the Bruins tight on cap space, and the opportunity for Carlo to earn a bigger payday in two years when the Bruins will have plenty of cap space to work with, Carlo understood where Sweeney was coming from.

“I was looking hopefully for the longer term but I’m absolutely fine with any play that it would come in with shorter term, longer term, just to be a part of this organization for any length of time,” said Carlo. “I was looking just to continue forward and stay here and remain here with this group of guys. I think everybody, as a young guy, you like the security aspect but as I went through the process and things were explained to me, I’m very happy with the result of the two years.”

Carlo took a big step forward in his development this past season and was one of the Bruins most consistent defenseman throughout.

Last season with Carlo on the ice, opponents registered 49.29 shot attempts per 60 minutes of five-on-five ice time. Among 124 NHL defensemen that logged 1000 minutes or more, Carlo’s clip was the fourth fewest. Flip over to goals allowed per 60 under the same parameters and you will find Carlo on the ice for 1.53 goals allowed per 60 minutes, the second fewest among qualifying defenseman.

After the Tampa Bay Lightning eliminated the Bruins in the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs head coach Bruce Cassidy and Sweeney talked about how much the team missed Carlo and his defensive capabilities on the ice.

After missing the 2017 and 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs due to two separate injuries, Carlo got his first taste of playoff hockey this past April, helping the club reach the Stanley Cup Final.

Carlo was excellent in the Bruins playoff run. An experience that helped Carlo gain a lot more confidence entering his fourth NHL season.

“Overall, my confidence level has grown huge, especially throughout the playoffs last year, just getting that experience. With every little bit of experience I continue to grow in that regard mentally, I didn’t expect the NHL to be this mentally tough when I first came in,” Carlo added. “Had great guidance through that time period with the older guys on our team, but certainly needed to get a grasp on it for myself.”

Carlo has anchored himself nicely on the Bruins second pairing where he and Torey Krug have become a reliable second option. Krug, the more offensively gifted defenseman and Carlo, the more safe, stay-at-home option.

Last season 114 different defensive pairings played over 300 minutes of five-on-five ice time together. Of those 114, Carlo and Krug allowed the 10th fewest shot attempts per 60 minutes at 48.11. They finished the regular season a plus-seven in goal differential.

It ended up being a four-day holdout for Carlo, one the Bruins and Carlo will certainly take as several keey RFA's throughout the league remain unsigned. It sounds like it shouldn’t take too long for Carlo to catch up to the rest of the group.

“I think after two or three days I’ll be right back in the fold. Overall, I think for myself being fortunate of having the youth on my side, I’ll be able to jump back in there with the older guys,” Carlo said.

“I’m excited to get back, I feel like I’ve worked as hard as I can up until this point this summer to skate as much as I possibly can. On the working out side of things I feel good, I feel stronger. It was obviously a short summer but I feel like I had good growth in that regard.”
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