Carlo ‘Close’ To Boston Bruins Return After Concussion

In a positive move for the Boston’s back end, Brandon Carlo has ditched the no-contact sweater at Boston Bruins practice and is “close” to returning to game action with a few games on the docket this week.

“Carlo is going to be close. I’m going to be cautious with him,” said Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery. “Stralman is getting really close too as far as sharpness and ready to go.

“You’re going to have to keep guys involved [with the incoming depth], otherwise it becomes a really long year. So there’s got to be some sort of rotation, but if you play well, it’s hard to take guys out. We’ve already got that problem up front [with the forwards].”

The stay-at-home defenseman confirmed after Monday’s practice that he did suffer a concussion in a collision with Arizona Coyotes forward Liam O’Brien a couple of weeks ago, one of a handful of head injuries that Carlo has suffered over the course of his NHL career.

Here is the hit that Brandon Carlo took from Liam O’Brien. Carlo will miss the remainder of the game. #NHLBruins

pic.twitter.com/FW1PQatHB4

— Short Handed Takes: Bruins 🅿️odcast 🎙 (@ShortHandedTks) October 16, 2022

The Bruins admitted they are going to be “cautious” with Carlo as he comes back into the lineup, likely sooner rather than later, and the 25-year-old defenseman voiced the same kind of careful optimism about jumping back with the Black and Gold.

“I’m feeling very good. I feel like through this I’ve progressed really well. The third day after I was out of that game I felt back to normal and have felt very good since,” said Brandon Carlo, who has no points and a plus-1 rating in two games played this season. “It’s unfortunate. [Concussions] are something I’ve experienced a couple of times in my career but talking to the doctors with the way I’ve recovered they said it wasn’t anything to be too concerned about at this point.

“From a hockey aspect I still feel very good and not unsafe to play by any means, but with these things it’s hard and you want to be reliable for your team. It’s a weird injury because you can’t see it aside from what I’ve been experiencing. It’s hard. I just want to continue to also be reliable for my friends and family, and that’s a component of your life that you have to take into account. It’s good, the conversations that have been had about concussions over the last couple of years because they are very real. But overall, I feel very good about where I’m at.”

Otherwise, Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy was on the practice ice as well wearing a gold jersey at Monday’s practice. Carlo had just returned to practice at the end of last week prior to working back up to being cleared for full practice on Monday.