As part of our THW Chicago summer series, we’ll introduce you to all the players the Chicago Blackhawks acquired via free agency and trades this offseason. In this latest edition, we take a look at defenseman T.J. Brodie, whom the Blackhawks signed on July 1 to a two-year, $7.5 million contract.

Everyone say hi TJ  pic.twitter.com/aNLOvTF88V

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) July 1, 2024

The Chatham, Ontario native has spent 14 seasons in the NHL, scoring 56 goals and 292 assists for 348 points, averaging 22:14 of ice time in 908 regular-season games with the Calgary Flames and, most recently, the Toronto Maple Leafs.

As someone who has watched Brodie closely through his career, I feel uniquely qualified to give Chicago fans an idea of what to expect from the 2008 fourth-round pick. Let’s take a look at what Brodie has been like at the best during his career, how it came apart last season in Toronto, and whether he can find his game in the Windy City.

If you haven’t seen it yet, check out my colleague Gail Kauchak’s piece on the new-but-old-but-still-new Blackhawk Teuvo Teravainen, as well as Brooke LoFurno’s story on Tyler Bertuzzi.

Brodie’s Best Seasons with Flames

After a strong junior career with the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Saginaw Spirit and a brief run with the Barrie Colts, Brodie spent the 2010-11 season with the Flames’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Abbotsford Heat, where he scored five goals and 29 assists for 34 points in 68 games. He led the team’s blue line in scoring and was the Heat’s lone representative at the 2011 AHL All-Star Game.

He eventually became a full-time NHLer with the Flames, and by the start of the 2013-14 season, he was on the team’s top defensive pairing with Mark Giordano. During that campaign, Brodie took a big step in production, scoring four goals and 27 assists for 31 points while averaging 24:04 of ice time.

T.J. Brodie, Toronto Maple Leafs (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

By the time the 2014-15 season got going, the Flames made sure to lock up their two-way star, signing him to a five-year, $23.25 million contract extension worth $4.65 million per season.

Through a six-season span during Brodie’s time with the Flames, he was one of the most reliable defensive defensemen in the NHL. Between 2013-14 and 2018-19, he averaged 23:27 of ice time and was utilized in all situations, facing the opponent’s best players on a nightly basis while being asked to contribute on both the power play and penalty kill.

However, in his last season with Calgary, he only recorded 19 points, his lowest total during a full campaign in his career. His ice time dropped to 20:27, his lowest mark since the portion of his career he split between the NHL and AHL, and it became clear the Flames didn’t have plans of keeping Brodie on their top pair.

When it was all said and done, he scored 48 goals and 218 assists for 266 points in 634 regular-season games with the Flames, the fifth-most assists and points by a defender in franchise history, and the eighth-most goals.

Flashes of Brilliance With Maple Leafs

After 10 seasons with the team that drafted him, Brodie was an unrestricted free agent. At age 29, he still had plenty of game left, and a top-four defenseman on the open market is as rare as a blue moon.

The Maple Leafs, desperate for help on the blue line, added the veteran defender on a four-year, $20 million contract. During the first three seasons in Toronto, Brodie was exactly the player as advertised, making smart plays in his own end, strong first passes, seldom getting beat in front of his net, and providing some secondary offense on the backend.

However, it all came crashing down in 2023-24, when Brodie, now in his 14th NHL season, struggled mightily. The Maple Leafs had the 25th-ranked penalty kill in the league, their worst mark since 2009-10. His play got so bad that in March, the team made Brodie a healthy scratch for the first time in his career since 2012.

“I think we and he acknowledge that he could be better. And we need him at his best. So if we have to take a step back in order for that to be the case, that’s what we’ll do. And that’s where we’re at right now,” former head coach Sheldon Keefe said at the time.

By the time the playoffs rolled around, Brodie was rarely in the lineup. In fact, he only dressed for Toronto in Game 4 of their first-round series against the Boston Bruins, going minus-2 in just 17:10 of ice time.

After another disappointing result for the Maple Leafs, it was clear the club wanted to go in a different direction, and they let Brodie walk to free agency. In four seasons with Toronto, he scored eight goals and 74 assists for 82 points in 274 regular-season games, averaging 21:28 of ice time.

Redemption With the Blackhawks?

It wasn’t clear what Brodie’s path would be upon entering free agency. While some teams might have seen him as a third-pair blueliner, or someone who could provide depth as a No. 6 to 8 defender on a playoff run, the Blackhawks saw someone who could instantly make their lineup better.

“T.J. is a strong, two-way defenseman that can play valuable minutes in any situation,” Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said in a press release after the signing was announced. “He adds a wealth of experience to our room and we’re excited about the impact he’ll have on our team.”

As I mentioned in an earlier story about the Blackhawks signing fellow veteran defender Alec Martinez, I don’t think this team will be competing for a Stanley Cup championship anytime in the next season or two, but that doesn’t mean they have to be completely out of it by the time we reach the NHL All-Star Break. While Brodie isn’t the player he was, a player like him who more often than not makes the right play in his own end can be useful in a sheltered, third-pair role.

T.J. Brodie, Toronto Maple Leafs (Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images)

And with the team willing to pay him nearly $4 million per season, you have to think they’ll be asking more than just a first pass and the good ol’ high-and-off-the-glass to clear the puck kind of plays: they’ll be looking for someone to show younger players how to become everyday NHLers, what it takes to stay in this league, and not just survive, but thrive.

And if you still don’t like the signing, look at it this way: if Brodie is able to find any semblance of the game he lost in Toronto, you don’t think there’s a team — or 31 teams — around the league looking to acquire someone who can be an extra piece in a stacked lineup? Get the Blackhawks to eat a chunk of his $3.75 million average annual value (AAV), and all of a sudden, you have an asset (or multiple assets) out of a veteran you provided a chance to improve.

Whatever the future holds, know this: the Blackhawks added a defenseman who, at one point in the past 14 years, was one of hockey’s most reliable defenders. If he can get back on the right path, then look out: Chicago might be cookin’.