No. 2: TJ Brodie
- Toronto Maple Leafs acquire: 2024 3rd Round Pick
- Seattle Kraken acquire: TJ Brodie
The Seattle Kraken currently have some salary-cap space and could also use a veteran defenseman, as they have three pending RFA defenseman to sign.
The newest expansion team shocked everyone as they advanced to the Second Round this year and are well on their way to contending in the Western Conference.
As much as everyone thought they would look to rebuild for a few more years, it feels like they’re ready to compete.
Brodie is a Brad Treliving guy, having played under him for years, but his $5M contract makes him expendable, especially after the team signed John Klingberg.
If the Leafs think Topi Niemela is ready for the NHL, they should be shedding Brodie’s contract immediately to replace him with a player on an Entry Level Contract.
Over the past few years, Brodie has been a steady top-two/top-four defenseman for the Leafs, but that wouldn’t be on the case on many other teams.
The 33-year-old has one year left on his deal and should not return in 2024, so it would be best to move on from him now if they can.