Former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman TJ Brodie is reportedly being placed on waivers by the Chicago Blackhawks for the purposes of a buyout.
The 35-year-old departed the Maple Leafs organization last summer to test free agency. Brodie signed a two-year, $7.5 million contract, earning him $3.75 million last season. After reportedly being bought out by the Blackhawks, via Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the defenseman will be able to test the open market again this summer.
Brodie spent four seasons with the Maple Leafs after signing a four-year, $20 million contract in October 2020. During his time in Toronto, Brodie was paired alongside Morgan Rielly as their top defense pairing. The two had a lot of success before Brodie's play began to drop off in the last year of his contract.
It was a difficult final season for Brodie, as his father, Jay Brodie, passed away in September 2023 after a battle with cancer. The defenseman played 78 games for Toronto that season, scoring one goal and 25 assists.
However, he played just one playoff game with the club that year before heading to free agency.
Brodie finished his Maple Leafs tenure with eight goals and 74 assists in 274 games, over four seasons. Before joining Toronto, the Chatham, Ontario native spent 10 seasons with the Calgary Flames, appearing in 634 games from 2010 to 2020.
He's played 962 NHL games, with the Flames, Maple Leafs, and Blackhawks, scoring 58 goals and 300 assists for 358 points in that span.
After buying out Brodie, the Blackhawks will have part of his $3.75 million salary (only $3,233,333, per PuckPedia) on the books for next season before his cap hit reduces to $258,333 in the 2026-27 season. He averaged 15:38 in his lone season with the Blackhawks, playing 54 games and scoring two goals and eight assists.
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