No-Fuss, No-Muss Blueliner Brodie A Huge Part of Leafs’ Blueprint for Success

The Toronto Maple Leafs have 46 regular-season games still to play in the NHL’s current schedule, and they’ve leaned heavily on their top defenseman duo of Morgan Rielly and T.J. Brodie. And although Rielly’s play has grown to a better level this season, it’s Brodie whose quiet confidence makes him a bargain and integral component at an average annual salary cap hit of $5 million per season.

In his nine NHL seasons, Brodie hasn’t stood out for any offense he contributes. Rather, it’s his sky-high panic threshold in his own zone, and his ability to move the puck smartly and quickly to teammates, that has defined him. Last season, in his first year as a Leaf, Brodie posted 13 assists and 14 points in 56 games; this season, he’s got three goals and 11 points in only 37 games. But Toronto doesn’t need point production from him. They’ve got plenty of offense-minded talent to take care of that.

No, what Leafs’ head coach Sheldon Keefe needs from Brodie is more steady-as-she-goes, sound positional play from him in the approximate 20 minutes of ice time he averages per game. Brodie has been an excellent counterbalance to Rielly in Toronto’s first defensive pairing so that the latter always feels comfortable jumping up into the rush. And Rielly and Brodie have played in all 37 Leafs games thus far this season. Without them, Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell’s individual statistics would be notably less impressive than they are today.

At 31 years of age, Brodie is the Leafs’ second-oldest defenseman (Jake Muzzin is 32). However, he doesn’t perform like someone whose skills are beginning to slide. Brodie has two more years on his contract before he becomes an unrestricted free agent. By the time he hits the open market, Brodie will either take a hometown discount on a new deal – that’s *if* the Leafs have thrived through the conclusion of his current contract – or he’ll move on and try and land himself at least as lucrative an extension with another organization.

The Leafs don’t need to let it get to that, though. The same way Toronto GM Kyle Dubas re-signed Rielly to a long-term contract earlier this season, Dubas can go to Brodie before his contract expires, and work out a new contract that will keep Brodie in Blue and White until he’s ready to retire.

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Brodie is not going to be a highlight-reel superstar anytime over the remainder of his NHL career. Again, this is something else the Leafs don’t need him to be. All Brodie has to do is to take care with the puck when it’s in Toronto’s end, and be a solid defensive force in the offensive zone who doesn’t allow opponents to sneak back behind him and produce odd-man rushes.

A lot can happen between now and the end of Brodie’s contract. The Leafs could collapse as a group, change GMs and alter a good part of their roster. If that happens, Brodie may not want to be part of that new look. However, if Toronto’s team play does indeed grow to better levels, you may be able to get a player like Brodie to forego a raise in favor of more experienced (read: pricy) teammates.

In any case, let’s hear it for Brodie. No-maintenance, no-fuss, no-muss. He just gets the job done.