Former Maple Leafs Defenseman Officially a Buyout Candidate Amid Rough Season
Former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman T.J. Brodie appears to be the latest buyout candidate after a challenging first season with his new team.
Since leaving the Maple Leafs last offseason, 34-year-old defenseman T.J. Brodie has faced a rough transition from the bright lights of Toronto to the Windy City of Chicago.
Brodie signed a two-year deal worth $3.75 million per season with the Chicago Blackhawks, but his tenure in Chicago has been underwhelming. So far, he has failed to deliver on the value of his contract.
Brodie had little choice but to sign elsewhere after the Maple Leafs informed him they would not re-sign him. However, it seems his time with the Blackhawks may be cut short, as he now looks like a prime candidate for a buyout.
As noted in Ben Pope's article, "T.J. Brodie's struggles have knocked him out of Blackhawks' lineup, into buyout territory," and in a subsequent tweet, Pope wrote:
That's how bad he has been."
Brodie was scratched for Friday's game between the Blackhawks and the Tampa Bay Lightning, marking the fifth time he's been a healthy scratch this season.
In 43 games, the 34-year-old veteran has recorded 9 points and holds a -18 rating. While offense has never been his strength, his recent struggles suggest he has lost a step, contributing to his poor season.
If Brodie is bought out, he may need to consider retirement, as he has not looked like his former self over the past couple of seasons.
Should he decide to retire, Brodie will have put together an impressive career, which spanned 951 games, split between the Calgary Flames, Maple Leafs and Blackhawks, amassing 357 points along the way.
The Maple Leafs replaced Brodie with veteran blueliner Oliver Ekman-Larsson in a move that looks pretty shrewd of Brad Treliving now, in hindsight.
