The Toronto Maple Leafs have found their right-side defenseman (though he’s still not right-handed). Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that T.J. Brodie will be heading to Toronto, and follows up with the contract details. Brodie will sign a four-year deal worth a total of $20MM ($5MM AAV). Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic provides the full breakdown:
- 2020-21: $2.5MM
- 2021-22: $5.0MM
- 2022-23: $5.0MM
- 2023-24: $7.5MM
The Maple Leafs have been dying for a right-handed defenseman to pair with Morgan Rielly for years, but will have to settle for the left-shot-right-side Brodie, who has been a strong contributor in Calgary for a decade. Toronto even tried to acquire him last summer in a trade that would have seen Nazem Kadri head to the Flames, but it was nixed by a no-trade clause at the last minute. In his place, the team traded for Tyson Barrie who was a defensive nightmare in Toronto, and regularly stuck Cody Ceci alongside Rielly.
Now, with Mikko Lehtonen also in the fold, the Maple Leafs have presumably improved their defense quite a bit as they prepare for the 2020-21 season. That being said, Brodie’s addition also puts a lot of pressure on the front office to figure out the cap situation.
CapFriendly now projects the Maple Leafs to be over the $81.5MM cap ceiling by a little more than $1MM, with new contracts to come for Travis Dermott and Ilya Mikheyev. While some space can be made by removing names like Calle Rosen and Timothy Liljegren, two players who likely won’t start the year in the NHL, it is quite the tight fit if either of the team’s restricted free agents are looking at a substantial raise.
It also likely means the team is out of the Alex Pietrangelo sweepstakes, though a pursuit of the top free agent always seemed impossible given their financial situation. The Maple Leafs would have had to move out several pieces to make room for the Blues captain, though GM Kyle Dubas did confirm that he spoke with Pietrangelo’s agent today.
Back to Brodie, who is cashing in and receives a slight raise on the $4.65MM cap hit he has carried over the last five years with Calgary. In 634 regular season games he has recorded 266 points, including back-to-back 40-plus seasons in 2014-16. That offense did dry up a bit in 2019-20 when Brodie scored just 19 points in 64 games, but the Maple Leafs need more at the defensive end of the rink anyway. That’s where this signing does hit a bit of a snag, as though Brodie records very strong defensive metrics, he’s not the snarling, shutdown defender that so many Maple Leafs fans seem to be clamoring for. In fact, he has recorded just 264 hits over his ten-year career. Brodie relies much more on his elusive skating ability and quick decision making to recover and move pucks but is still prone to the odd glaring turnover.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
This probably means no Pietrangelo but I’m okay with that.
@C-Daddy – Damn! Beat me to it! Well played, sir!
Did you actually believe they were in on Petro? Who in top were being sent out to bring him in, or what 3 middle contracts were being traded??
Brodie at 5 mil leaves no money left to pay Dermett or Mikayev.
Dermott may be dealt.
Too much of everything
Good Move by Leafs , by acquiring Brodie.
Dmen are still getting paid.
Imagine the Leafs got rid of Lamorello to hire this fool. Malfeasance.
They will regret this. He was pretty bad without Giordano propping him up.
Agree totally, without a supportive partner(Reilly won’t be), he has flaws for days! Flyers were rumored to be interested but at 4 years and $20 million…hard pass! Another Leafs overpay they’ll regret for years (insert J.T. here)
So you’re saying all his success is due to be playing with Giordano. No one else is anything like Giordano.
Nobody on the Leafs and that’s all that matters now.
leafs just lost the offseason. that amount is crazy and doesn’t address their need for someone on D who will block shots and hot. Brodie was one of the softest players on FA.
Dubas apparently just sees goals and not defence and I assume stops watching hockey after the leafs are eliminated so isn’t exposed to what is required to win the Cup
Yup I can’t agree with you more. I would have been happier with Gudas at 3×3 then Brodie at 4×5 Brodie isn’t much better then Sandin or Dermott plus they have Lehtonen. So Holl is going to be the only guy on the right side who’s naturally there and he’s not even that good
Brodie has averaged about 100 blocked shots in the last 7 seasons….
Umm 1 blocked shots every 5.7 games played if he played all 82 games in 7 years (I know he hasn’t) sounds like a good numbers right there for a guy playing 20 min a night
that’s not a lot for a 1st pairing guy and is propped up by one big season. Plus, and I reiterate, it’s not what the leafs need. They essentially brought in a LHD Barrie with less offensive skill
Sorry, 100 blocked shots a season
Why he’s just another Gardiner. Only reason he was good in Calgary was he was paired with a Norris winner. Not saying Rielly isn’t good he’s just not as good defensively as Gio
Flames fans are cheering in the streets that he’s gone
The leafs may have just signed a LHD Justin Holl if he doesn’t develop further, except Holl hits
As soon as Leafs fans figure out Brodie is an offensive threat in both ends of the ice he will be the new whipping boy In TO.
killing their cap
You don’t say.
“Every move the last 2 years has been to sign Pietrangelo.” – Sarcastic Font.
He was complete trash playing without Gio 2 seasons ago. Give it 2 years and leafs fans will be begging for someone to take him off their hands. Possibly sooner.
With the Leafs free agent signings you can start the Stanley Cup parade route planning.
Maybe te biggest overpayment this FA! The leafs are going to regret this signing just like the Tavares signing