Confirmed with Link: TJ Brodie to TOR | 4 years 5M per

[Machinae]

Brodie looks like an awesome fit with Rielly. Leafs have made a huge upgrade and finally found a complimentary player for him. Can't believe we had to shelter Barrie on a 3rd pairing just to get some semblance of 5v5 play out of him. Comparing Brodie to Barrie does not make the least bit of sense. Our defense was already better the moment Barrie left.

 

[Knies iT]

Lehtonen who was one of if not the best defenceman in the khl says hi..

Losing Ceci is addition by subtraction he was awful. We know this. Brodie is MUCH better defensively than Barrie and a good transition player.

Like it's Day 2 of free agency and you are already declaring the year a failure? You come off as a leaf troll not a fan.

None of that fits your anti Dubas agenda though so I'm sure it'll be ignored.

Sandin and Liljegren are young and you hope they take a step.

I'm curious how you would have rebuilt the defence in one offseason?

Also, simplifying the acquisition by saying “we go from Barrie to Brodie” lacks context. It’s not just the value of the player, but how they impact the entire blue line. Barrie was such a horrendous fit that not only was his on ice play bad, but he hurt the entire blue line because he had to be sheltered, meaning Ceci had to play minutes he should never have been given. Barrie was wasted on the 3rd pair because Dermott can carry a far worse defender anyways.

Brodie thrives off of playing 20+ minutes per night and is better the more he plays. That means you not only have a guy that doesn’t need to be sheltered, but actually complements his partner, elevating the whole pair. It also bumps other players down into slots that are either adequate for their skill level, or a role they can outperform (e.g. Lehtonen, Dermott, etc. on bottom pair).

In theory, we now have an all-situations top pair, a shutdown pair with chemistry, and a third pair led by a guy that has proven to excel in that role.

 

[Isaac Nootin]

We have the same D core as last year. Just replace Barrie with Brodie...also we might end up losing Dermott & Ceci's done

Multiple players swapped out, so no, it's not the same D core.

 

[Crosscrease14]

Ceci is better defensively than TJ, Ceci took all the tough matchups.

Well I was arguing Brodie is better than Barrie defensively so kind of irrelevant but I also doubt that.

Ceci may have had tough matchups but he was way way in over his head. His gap control is horrible and even if he could control the opposing forward once he got the puck he didn't know what to do with it. He leaned on Rielly heavily to make plays.

And yes I watched almost every game this season. I wish I could unsee that much Ceci.

 

[Terrible GM]

Draft and UFA threads are essentially a spring cleaning opportunity to clear out the hot(head) take hero's! My ignore list makes for good future reading.

Love the Brodie signing. He was a the best fit for the Leafs in the UFA market. If you don't trust analytics on him.. then go read the Flames appreciation post. He was a fan favourite!

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

The rest of the comparisons were bad enough, but my god, this is just a whole other level of inaccurate.

I don’t know why people aren’t mass ignoring that guy. He’s been hyperbolic and negative since he made his account. Jesus Christ Muzzin = Colaiacovo. What a joke.

 

[Future]

Can’t believe I read someone say that Cody Ceci is better defensively than TJ Brodie. Yikes.

 

[RebuildYear5]

Can’t believe I read someone say that Cody Ceci is better defensively than TJ Brodie. Yikes.

We will soon find out.
He's going to have a huge workload working in Toronto vs Calgary they have had good depth on defense we dont

 

[Le Cobra]

Is it too late to get Pietrangelo? I would be willing to part with either Nylander or Marner for him

 

[m1ker]

Is it too late to get Pietrangelo? I would be willing to part with either Nylander or Marner for him

We don’t have the same offensive depth anymore. If we lose Nylander or Marner our offence will be garbage.

 

[Garthinater]

People have no concept with odds and probability.

You can make a move with favourable odds but then still have it blow up in your face. That does not make it a bad move, because if you continue making similar moves (or even near identical moves), it will work out in your favour far more often than not... Which is exactly what we have seen with Dubas.

"Favourable odds" are very subjective while results are not.

We have been told again and again by certain posters that basically every move dubas makes is a win and yet we have 2 years of regression that even shanahan admits is real.

At some point you have to realize that certain people just aren't good at evaluating talent.

 

[Garthinater]

Hindsight is 20/20. At the end of the day, it’s been awhile since we could be excited about trade deadlines or UFA signings, since Shanahan/Dubas have been here, the leafs have been involved in everything. I liked all the decisions he’s made, yeah they didn’t always pan out, but at the time they made the most sense. A lot of people bring up ceci/Barrie year but I was excited at the time for those deals too because Barrie was a hell of a player and addressed our biggest need, moving the puck out from the right side. Dubas also made sure our defense was all 1 year so we could test if it worked and wouldn’t be stuck with them which I think is overlooked.

The fact you were excited about barrie and kerfoot for kadri shows that you and dubas don't fully understand how hockey works.

Right away I knew the trade was not a win for us and yet was called names for doubting dubas lol

You don't need hindsight.

 

[Garthinater]

They were good/great deals, but yeah we all should have known Covid was gonna happen; flatten the cap, and make it so half the league would be unable to pay their players and render almost every bottom-6 player IN THE LEAGUE moot.

Do you have the lottery numbers as well because obviously you knew? We get it. You hate Dubas. Go support another team. No need for your damn negativity.

Clearly they were not good / great deals or else they would be easy to trade. I cant believe you are still trying to say they are. At some point the excuses for dubas need to stop.

Why do I need to have the lottery numbers? Where is that coming from?

I have no wish to support another team but dubas is making that hard on me.

Guy inherits a 105 point team that had made the 1st round twice in a row for the first time in 12+ years. Within 2 years we lose to Columbus in the qualifiers. We have let in more goals each season under dubas while getting 5 points less per season. Even shanahan admitted that we have been regressing.

I'm not being negative. I'm being realistic.

It is funny how the "negative" poster seems to be the most accurate.

You guys thought sparks over mcbackup was smart. Clearly wrong.

You guys thought kadri for kerfoot and barrie was a win lol

There are many examples showing that the dubas defenders seem to have a real lack in the basic understanding of hockey.

But please, do go on morgs. Tell me why I'm so mean and nasty rofl.

 

[pylon17]

If we lose Nylander or Marner our offence will be garbage.

False.

 

[m1ker]

Clearly they were not good / great deals or else they would be easy to trade. I cant believe you are still trying to say they are. At some point the excuses for dubas need to stop.

Why do I need to have the lottery numbers? Where is that coming from?

I have no wish to support another team but dubas is making that hard on me.

Guy inherits a 105 point team that had made the 1st round twice in a row for the first time in 12+ years. Within 2 years we lose to Columbus in the qualifiers. We have let in more goals each season under dubas while getting 5 points less per season. Even shanahan admitted that we have been regressing.

I'm not being negative. I'm being realistic.

It is funny how the "negative" poster seems to be the most accurate.

You guys thought sparks over mcbackup was smart. Clearly wrong.

You guys thought kadri for kerfoot and barrie was a win lol

There are many examples showing that the dubas defenders seem to have a real lack in the basic understanding of hockey.

But please, do go on morgs. Tell me why I'm so mean and nasty rofl.

Let the best goalie in AHL walk for a backup goalie.. it’s an obvious decision you go with sparks.. it didn’t work out but it was the right choice

 

[m1ker]

False.

And who’s going to do the scoring? Spezza, engvall, Mikheyev? Perry, jumbo joe? It’s a step backwards if we lose the core 4. We will turn into the oldest team over night

 

[Dekes For Days]

Clearly they were not good / great deals or else they would be easy to trade.

So far two of the three have been traded for positive value; one for a significant haul. You have nothing to support your claim that they weren't good deals.

 

[smitty10]

So pumped for this signing! Brodie is a great acquisition for us. Coupled with the Bogosion signing, the D core is really starting to balance out. I think we're still another piece away from having an elite defense, but we aren't far off!

 

[Le Cobra]

We don’t have the same offensive depth anymore. If we lose Nylander or Marner our offence will be garbage.

We are loaded on forwards. Our greatest need is D. I can’t remember the last time we had a competent d corps even during Potvin and Cujo and Belfour eras. We always leaned heavily on stellar goaltending to steal playoff series and the moment we don’t have said goaltending we end up in playoff droughts and can’t get past the first round.

If we can put together a balanced team for once and one that has chemistry as well as a “Nick Nurse” or evening John Tortorella style coach that can motivate their players and get them to buy in to a system that wins championships we are on our way.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

"Favourable odds" are very subjective while results are not.

We have been told again and again by certain posters that basically every move dubas makes is a win and yet we have 2 years of regression that even shanahan admits is real.

At some point you have to realize that certain people just aren't good at evaluating talent.

You have a link where Shanahan admits there is regression? I guess he is on a different page than Dubas, and reality, because the Leafs have been a lot better than they were before Dubas has taken over.

Results aren't guaranteed. You can make all the right moves and still lose... And you can be an incompetent GM and win. Look at the Sens a few years ago... Bubble teams can get hot and get results. They have not been anywhere close to the playoffs since then. Then look at the Lightning. Best regular season team in history but then absolutely sucked and went cold. Next year, same core did not suck and they won the Cup. Results leave out a ton of context and if GM's only look at that when making decisions, then they would not have jobs for very long.

It is the GM's job to give his team the best chance to win, and Dubas does that better than most GM's. However he can't guarantee a win. The Leafs have been the better team in two straight playoffs series yet have lost both of them. Yzerman is easily one of the best GM's in the league and he did not win in 8 years with Tampa (which had a lot of highs and lows), and they only won (mostly with a team that he built) 2 years after he left.

If you only care about results, then don't worry about the people who put in the work to get those results and the decisions they make. If you don't like the results, don't watch. Watch the teams with GM's who are "good at evaluating talent" and you will probably see they make a ton of missteps.

 

[pylon17]

No so far I think the Kaberle/McCabe days were better.
Yushkevich/Markov etc.

Svehla.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

Brodie is expansion draft exempt. Disregard, not true. Read poor info on this but I’ll leave it in just so everyone knows i am not as perfect as you think i am

 

[Zybalto]

Can’t believe I read someone say that Cody Ceci is better defensively than TJ Brodie. Yikes.

I think both players are good defensively. What separates Brodie from Ceci is that he is so obviously a more well rounded player and exactly the type of two way guy that Rielly has needed to play with. 35 year old Giordano just won the Norris with Brodie as a partner right? None of that takes away from the fact Ceci has excellent defensive stats this year. The problem is that if you are going to become useless once you hit the redline, you might not be a great fit in the top 4 on a winning team.

Dmen with the lowest 5v5 Goals Against/60 while on the ice in the league this year REL (min 950 minutes played this past season):

1. Stecher: - .88 goals per 60
2. Mayfield : - .82 goals per 60
3. Nemeth: - .82 goals per 60
4. Green: - .81 goals per 60
5. Yandle: - .74 goals per 60
6. Ceci: - .74 goals per 60
7. Fowler: - .7 goals per 60
8. Josi: - .66 goals per 60
9. Theodore: - .63 goals per 60
10: Giordano: - .62 goals per 60

This is basically a list of players that were the best in the league when it came to limiting goals scored by the other team relative how the rest of their team did. There are other factors of course including quality of competition and usage but considering Ceci wasnt used primarily as a 5/6 this year or dropped into any kind of offensive situations, he fares pretty well I think. He could have just gotten lucky or suffering from some statical noise I guess (considering the massive drop off in the quality of the Leafs goaltending this year) but he also has solid underlying numbers and was, when paired with Muzzin was on the #1 PK pairing in the NHL for GA/60 REL. Its really hard to find any numbers, advanced or not, that say Ceci was bad defensively unless you wanna start talking about things like gap control but even then, if those things dont lead to high danger chances or goals against, what are they defining? Why are his GA numbers so low? Has anyone even tried to talk about his strengths?

In the end, it was best for him to walk away as he'll never escape the narrative he is "bad defensively". It's part of the mainstream now......and I have no doubt he'll get buried even more when our goaltending inevitably rebounds next year (it has too doesnt it?) and folks will say "See, he was the problem". Its always interesting to see how the sausage of narratives are made though.

 

[kb]

I think both players are good defensively. What separates Brodie from Ceci is that he is so obviously a more well rounded player and exactly the type of two way guy that Rielly has needed to play with. 35 year old Giordano just won the Norris with Brodie as a partner right? None of that takes away from the fact Ceci has excellent defensive stats this year. The problem is that if you are going to become useless once you hit the redline, you might not be a great fit in the top 4 on a winning team.

Dmen with the lowest 5v5 Goals Against/60 while on the ice in the league this year REL (min 950 minutes played this past season):

1. Stecher: - .88 goals per 60
2. Mayfield : - .82 goals per 60
3. Nemeth: - .82 goals per 60
4. Green: - .81 goals per 60
5. Yandle: - .74 goals per 60
6. Ceci: - .74 goals per 60
7. Fowler: - .7 goals per 60
8. Josi: - .66 goals per 60
9. Theodore: - .63 goals per 60
10: Giordano: - .62 goals per 60

This is basically a list of players that were the best in the league when it came to limiting goals scored by the other team relative how the rest of their team did. There are other factors of course including quality of competition and usage but considering Ceci wasnt used primarily as a 5/6 this year or dropped into any kind of offensive situations, he fares pretty well I think. He could have just gotten lucky or suffering from some statical noise I guess (considering the massive drop off in the quality of the Leafs goaltending this year) but he also has solid underlying numbers and was, when paired with Muzzin was on the #1 PK pairing in the NHL for GA/60 REL. Its really hard to find any numbers, advanced or not, that say Ceci was bad defensively unless you wanna start talking about things like gap control but even then, if those things dont lead to high danger chances or goals against, what are they defining? Why are his GA numbers so low? Has anyone even tried to talk about his strengths?

In the end, it was best for him to walk away as he'll never escape the narrative he is "bad defensively". It's part of the mainstream now......and I have no doubt he'll get buried even more when our goaltending inevitably rebounds next year (it has too doesnt it?) and folks will say "See, he was the problem". Its always interesting to see how the sausage of narratives are made though.

Well said. I would have easily taken him back at a reasonable number.

I suspect.....so would the Leafs.

 

[Throw More Waffles]

Brodie is expansion draft exempt because of his NMC in his contract. Thats good

Doesn't that just mean that the leafs have to include him as a protected defenseman and he still takes up one of our 3 d slots?