2 Trade Destinations for Maple Leafs’ T.J. Brodie

Brodie is still a serviceable defender, but he shouldn’t play in the top three anymore. His dip in play should slot him into a bottom pairing or, at best, as a stay-at-home defenceman on the second pairing, which would give him less responsibility and the ability to play his game under less pressure. The Devils may be a perfect home for him; they are a quieter market that could use him alongside Luke Hughes or Simon Nemec.

However, landing on a trade that makes sense for both teams is where it becomes complicated. The Maple Leafs would benefit from the cap relief to bring in a few new players for their back end, but the Devils may not be interested in taking on a rental with a $5 million cap hit. This means they will either need to agree on salary retention or bring in a third-party broker like the Chicago Blackhawks to take on a portion of Brodie’s salary. If the Maple Leafs and Devils can pull off this deal, Toronto should look at Curtis Lazar and a mid-round draft pick as their return. This would clear roughly $4 million in salary, which could be used elsewhere.

Nashville Predators

The Nashville Predators are in a similar situation. They are within reach of the playoffs, currently in ninth place in the Western Conference, but only two points out of seventh, and could be in the market for a few blueliners. Although they may not want rentals, GM Barry Trotz may be interested in Brodie.

As of now, the Predators have a few rentals on their backend who could be moved, like Tyson Barrie and Alexandre Carrier. Both might be attractive pieces for contending teams. Our very own Jesse Courville-Lynch wrote an article suggesting the Maple Leafs should target Barrie for the right price. This wouldn’t be a bad idea; it would give the Maple Leafs another option to have on the power play. Unfortunately, Barrie’s time in Toronto didn’t end well, especially his relationship with the fans. 

Additionally, Treliving loves a physical defence core, and Barrie doesn’t play that style of game. This is why, if the Maple Leafs are interested in trading Brodie to the Predators, they should target Carrier. Brodie could take his place on the Predators’ bottom pairing alongside Jeremy Lauzon, or he could take Barrie’s spot on the top pairing with Roman Josi. He would be joining a very experienced defence core alongside his former teammate Luke Schenn, Ryan McDonagh, and Josi. On paper, he seems to fit their blue line, and this would also allow him to play his game and not worry about the noise. 

I touched on this, but the trade that I’d be most interested in would be Carrier and a late-round pick for Brodie. The salary cap isn’t an issue for the Predators this season; they have $7.9 million in cap space, and with Brodie’s $5 million, there would be no need for retention. Carrier’s cap hit is $2.5 million, which would help the Maple Leafs allocate the other $2.5 million elsewhere. 

Honorable Mention: Calgary Flames

Until we know that the Maple Leafs aren’t actively shopping their players, there will be a ton of speculation. That is how this time of year works: anyone who makes sense in a trade is available until we know 100 percent that they aren’t. In terms of Brodie, I think it would be smart to move him and his cap hit to revamp the blue line. It needs to happen either now or in the offseason. Although it makes more sense to do it in the offseason, it doesn’t make sense to punt this season and try to fix the issues afterward. Again, Treliving will need to get creative, but the team needs defensive help badly.