During this past off-season, the Chicago Blackhawks signed defenseman TJ Brodie to a two-year contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $3.75 million. The hope was that the veteran blueliner would provide their top four with a nice boost. 

Unfortunately, Brodie struggled in 2024-25 with the Blackhawks, as he posted two goals, eight assists, and a minus-18 rating in 54 games. He also notably fell down the Blackhawks' depth chart big time, as he was scratched for Chicago's final 22 games of the season.

With Brodie simply not being a fit with the Blackhawks, the Original Six club decided to buy him out this off-season. Now, with August almost here, Brodie has still not been signed by a new team and remains an unrestricted free agent (UFA). 

Given Brodie's resume, it is certainly possible that he could land a one-year contract or professional tryout (PTO) somewhere. Teams looking for defensive depth could consider taking a gamble on the 35-year-old due to his experience and past success. Keep in mind, just back in 2023-24 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, he had one goal, 25 assists, and a plus-17 rating in 78 games. 

In 962 career games split between the Calgary Flames, Maple Leafs, and Blackhawks, Brodie has recorded 58 goals, 300 assists, 358 points, and a plus-66 rating. It will be interesting to see if he finds a new home and gets the opportunity to improve upon his career stats from here. 

Ex-Blackhawks Forward Must Bounce Back With New Team The 2024-25 season was a complete nightmare for forward Philipp Kurashev. In 51 games with the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks">Chicago Blackhawks </a>on the year, he posted just seven goals, seven assists, and a minus-28 rating. When noting that he just had 18 goals, 34 assists, and 54 points in 75 games with the Blackhawks in 2024-25, this past campaign was a notable step in the wrong direction for the 25-year-old forward.

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