3 Reasons Why the Toronto Maple Leafs Will be a Better Team Next Year
By Joseph Zita
VANCOUVER, BC – FEBRUARY 08: T.J. Brodie #7 of the Calgary Flames . (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)
2. Help on Defense
The Toronto Maple Leafs brought in a terrific defensemen in TJ Brodie via free agency who will more than likely play alongside Morgan Rielly.
Rielly has never played alongside a defensemen that benefits his play style, we’ve seen him play along with multiple defensemen throughout his years as a Leaf like Cody Ceci, Ron Hainsey, Nikita Zaitsev, and the list goes on.
Brodie plays the right side and is a solid, if unflashy, top pairing defender.
Brodie is someone who will come into the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup and make an immediate impact on the ice. You look at last seasons group compared to this seasons group on the back end and it is much better in the sense that they have more bodies that were needed on this team.
You go from Barrie, Ceci, Marincin last season along with Rielly, Muzzin, Holl, and Dermott to adding Brodie, Bogosian, and Lehtonen along with the other four current Leafs in Rielly, Muzzin, Holl, and Dermott. That defensive group is way better and fills in what the team was missing (physicality and defensive awareness) (Stats from Hockey-Reference.com)
TJ Brodie
2019-20 stats – 64 GP – 4 G – 15 A – 19 PTS – 52.4% CF%
Career – 634 GP – 48 G – 218 A – 266 PTS – 50.9% CF%