The Toronto Maple Leafs’ protection is clearly their weakest space this season. That’s not information. Nonetheless, there’s a selected member of the Leafs’ protection corps who doesn’t get a variety of focus – and that’s veteran T.J. Brodie. At age 33, Brodie is the third-oldest Leaf – solely 40-year-old D-man Mark Giordano and 36-year-old enforcer Ryan Reaves are older – and lots of observers consider Brodie’s total sport has begun to crumble notably this yr. And with Buds GM Brad Treliving on the hunt for blueliners on the commerce market, Brodie may discover himself on one other staff.
A part of that’s as a result of Brodie is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent subsequent summer time. It hasn’t been mentioned all that a lot, as a result of Toronto has extra distinguished UFAs to cope with. However with a serious elevate in line for star winger William Nylander due subsequent season, the Leafs are going to be reducing corners wherever doable, and Brodie’s $5-million wage cap hit may go to a newcomer – say, present Calgary defenseman Nikita Zadorov, and/or Flames D-man Chris Tanev slightly than paying Brodie to return.
Regardless of taking part in on the Leafs’ prime protection pairing with Morgan Rielly, Brodie has change into a digital non-factor on offense – he’s at present acquired solely two assists in 14 video games and final season, he had simply 12 assists and 14 factors in 58 video games – and all of that will be acceptable if he was an elite power on protection. That merely hasn’t been the case, and at this stage of his profession, Brodie might be a quickly eroding constructive think about his personal zone.
As per Cap Pleasant, Brodie has a modified no-trade clause, through which he can record 10 groups he refuses to be dealt to. A kind of groups might be the Flames – comprehensible since he left there of his personal accord to signal with Toronto in 2029 – however that leaves 21 groups he might be moved to with out his permission. Which will imply Treliving has to deal Brodie first, earlier than taking up Zadorov or Tanev in a separate deal. However clearly, Brodie is just not going to be again with the Leafs subsequent season until he takes a big wage lower.
The Leafs seemingly might be trying to convey alongside younger defensemen Mikko Kokkonen and Topi Niemela within the close to future, however each kids will want time to regulate. That’s the place skilled arms similar to Tanev and Zadorov are available. They might play in Toronto’s top-two protection pairings and permit Kokkonen and Niemela to begin on the third protection pairing and work their approach up from there. The one factor they’ll’t do is proceed to face by and allow Brodie to proceed struggling as his profession nears an in depth. And in the event that they aren’t going to be doing that, there’s no good argument for bringing Brodie again, until he takes a contract just like Giordano’s present $800,000 wage.
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There was a time when Brodie was a stable stay-at-home D-man in hockey’s prime league, however that point has handed. On a staff with an elite protection corps – the Carolina Hurricanes, as an illustration – Brodie can be on the third pairing, or in a stretch, on the second pairing. However on the highest pairing of the Leafs’ protection corps, he’s a legal responsibility now, and it’s unlikely he’ll uncover the fountain of youth and someway rejuvenate his sport. He’s a fairly, no-fuss, no-muss participant who has given his all to Toronto, however Treliving has to make some cold-blooded selections in regards to the protection, and a kind of selections is the (proper) choice to chop ties with Brodie.
Certainly, if there’s no approach the Leafs re-sign Brodie to an extension, he must be dealt, ahead of later. Treliving has to search out him a brand new dwelling, in order that his wage might be spent on a extra reliable long-term competitor than Brodie is at this stage. It’s a troublesome enterprise, however Brodie would perceive if the Leafs transfer on from him. He’s not the identical participant he was even three years in the past, and if Toronto goes to accumulate a greater blueliner, they nearly assuredly have to go in a unique path than the one Brodie is in.
He’s solely going to harm the Buds in the event that they proceed taking part in him on their prime pair, and the Leafs are at a definite crossroads with him. It makes probably the most sense for Toronto to maneuver on with somebody new, and that could be painful for Brodie’s followers to listen to, however it’s the reality.
