TAMPA – The Bruins will have to venture through the postseason for a second straight spring without young D-man Brandon Carlo after he was diagnosed with a fractured left ankle that will require surgery.
The 21-year-old Carlo has been ruled out for the rest of the regular season and the entire playoffs as he’ll need 3-4 months to recover after his surgery. He was injured in Boston’s win last weekend over the Panthers when he had to be wheeled off the ice on a stretcher after his left leg bent back awkwardly during a puck battle in the corner.
Carlo missed last season’s playoff run for the Black and Gold, as well, after suffering a concussion in the last game of the regular season against the Washington Capitals, so it’s been a real tough luck couple of seasons for a 6-foot-5 defenseman that’s otherwise been totally healthy through his first two NHL regular season. Bruce Cassidy admitted it was a “significant injury” when discussing Carlo’s plight on Tuesday morning, and said he feels for his young defenseman in a big way as he’s been robbed of playoff hockey two years running.
“If he does [miss the playoffs] then it sucks, honestly, for a guy that’s played every regular season game and been healthy through two seasons,” said Cassidy. “The only game he missed this year was when he was a healthy scratch and we put him up top. I think the whole group felt badly for him being taken off on a stretcher. Let’s face it, when there’s a stretcher involved it’s probably not good.”
Carlo is expected to be fully healthy and ready to go by the time training camp rolls around next season, and it’s looking more and more prudent that Don Sweeney showed up his D-men depth by dealing for Nick Holden ahead of the NHL trade deadline at the end of February.