Tavares just reached the 20-goal mark for the 15th time in his NHL career. Does the Leafs center get enough credit for his ability to score? T.J. Brodie’s time with the Chicago Blackhawks has been far from smooth to begin his tenure in the Windy City. The former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman, who joined the Blackhawks this past summer on a two-year contract worth $3.75 million annually, was a healthy scratch for the fifth time this season on Friday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 34-year-old spent four seasons with Toronto after signing as a free agent in 2020, but his transition to Chicago has not gone as planned. Through 43 games with the Blackhawks, he has just two goals and seven assists for nine points, along with a career-worst minus-18 rating and 15:49 of average time on ice. Blackhawks beat reporter Ben Pope noted on X [https://x.com/BenPopeCST/status/1882898080829424026] on Friday that the team may be shifting away from Brodie in favor of younger defensemen, writing: “The Blackhawks have nothing left to gain from playing T.J. Brodie, who probably should be bought out this summer — even though the buyout would bring little financial relief.” Brodie, who was also scratched for three consecutive games in early November, acknowledged his struggles in recent comments, collected by Pope. “It’s definitely hard to get confident,” Brodie admitted. “It has been a roller coaster with my game specifically. I play good and then struggle another night.” The former fourth-round pick was brought to Chicago for his plethora of experience in the NHL as a key figure to help foster a younger team mesh at the NHL level this past offseason. It’s safe to say the experiment hasn't gone as it was once intended. As Pope noted, however, the tipping point may have come during Monday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. In that matchup, the Blackhawks were outshot 20-3 and outscored 2-1 during Brodie’s five-on-five ice time. Over the season, Chicago has been outscored 36-17 with him on the ice at even strength. While the Blackhawks will likely play Brodie again at some point this season, Pope suggests a buyout could be on the table this summer. However, such a move would provide limited cap relief in the process, as Chicago would face an additional $3.23 million cap hit next season and a $258,000 hit the year after. Brodie had nine goals, 80 assists, and 89 points in 300 regular and postseason games for the Maple Leafs. In his career, the Chatham, Ontario, native has played in 1,007 total games split across the Calgary Flames, Maple Leafs, and Blackhawks, accumulating 63 goals, 316 assists, and 379 total points. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjExNjM5NDEwNTc4NDM0MDI0/googlenews.svg] Stay updated with the most interesting Maple Leafs stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwytvfCA?ceid=CA:en&oc=3] to never miss a story.
