The veteran joined the Maple Leafs defense corps for some drills on Friday but has yet to practice with the club since suffering an oblique injury three weeks ago.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are inching closer to having TJ Brodie back in the lineup. It’s just not expected to happen in either of the club’s next two games in Tampa and Dallas.
“He’s progressing well and he’ll travel with us on this trip,” Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said following the team’s practice on Friday. “We do have a practice day in Dallas and morning skates and such that we expect to see him more involved.”
Keefe added that he doesn’t necessarily expect that Brodie would play in either of the next two days, but improvement is still encouraging.
At practice, Brodie stayed on the ice longer than his usual session with the club’s conditioning staff. He took part in drills with his fellow defensemen, which he hadn’t done since his injury. Brodie did not, however, take part in the team’s practice.
During his on-ice session, Brodie spent much of his time on the ice working on puck retrievals along the corner boards, an improvement over last week when he struggled with basic crossover motions.
The 32-year-old defenseman sustained an oblique injury and was unable to take part in the team’s game against the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 11, despite taking part in the warmup.
Brodie is one of many veteran defensemen unavailable to the Leafs
Jake Muzzin has been out since Oct. 17 with a cervical spine issue and will be re-assessed in late February. Morgan Rielly sustained a knee injury until at least Dec. 17 as required by being placed on long-term injured reserve. Jordie Benn is also out with an upper-body injury
The Leafs, however, have been able to persevere as they are 8-0-2 without Brodie in the lineup and thus there is no urgency to rush the veteran along in his recovery.
It’s just a 10-game sample size. Over the last two-plus seasons, the Leafs have been an improved team since signing the player to a four-year, $20 million contract in October of 2020.
If Brodie takes part in a full practice with the team on Sunday, then his return to game action won’t be far off. At that point, the decision shifts to where he should be in the lineup
Brodie skated with Justin Holl before his injury. While Mark Giordano fitting in nicely in Brodie’s place, it’s clear that Holl has had better success with Brodie on his left side.
With the Leafs on a bit of a roll, Brodie’s return should be a net positive. The good news right now, is they aren’t hurting without him. But once he gets through a practice or two, it will be all system go for Brodie. He should also help eat up some minutes on the penalty kill upon return.
After the team’s two-game road trip, they return for a three-game home stand against the Los Angeles Kings, Calgary Flames and Anaheim Ducks.