Let’s get one thing perfectly clear: on pure backchecking ability, Brandon Carlo is a good defenseman.
While we joke about him having untapped offensive potential, I think we can at the very least agree that whatever Carlo brings to the table doesn’t end up on said table when the B’s are in the offensive zone. His play is honestly, rather dull by NHL standards: He will contribute on the boards and in shot blocking and uh...that’s it. Because of that, he’s a perfect 2nd pair defender, and as a result...he’s mostly escaped notice.
He’s never been the specific point of ire; that goes to players worse than him at defense or smaller than he is.