Maple Leafs defenseman Brandon Carlo placed on injured reserve, team forced to make call up

This season was expected to be a big one for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but to this point they're yet to find their consistency, and with their injury issues piling up, this could be a team that shockingly misses the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2025/26.

Captain Auston Matthews has struggled with injuries early in the season, and now, they've been dealt another major blow, as defenseman Brandon Carlo has officially been placed on Injured Reserve.

This comes on the back of Chris Tanev missing time following a brutal collision against the Philadelphia Flyers, and with the team allowing 3.79 goals per game, ranking 31st in the NHL, it's clear that the blue line has had some major struggles this season.

In Carlo's place, the team have recalled Jacob Quillan from the AHL's Toronto Marlies after putting up 14 points in 14 games this year, a centre that will look to give this forward group an injection of energy as the team look to turn their recent struggles.

With the arrival of Troy Stecher, the Maple Leafs are hoping that he can provide some of the impact that Carlo did during his early tenure with the team, and unless that spark comes soon, this is a team that could struggle to turn around their overall slow start to the new campaign.

As of right now, the timeline for a return with Carlo is unknown, but if these injuries keep piling up, the pressure could continue to mount in Toronto as they've fallen to 8-9-2 this year.