TJ Brodie of the Toronto Maple Leafs has been relied on heavily in defensive situations since breaking into the NHL with the Calgary Flames. Toronto is still giving the 33-year-old a prominent role on the team, playing mostly on the top blueline pairing with Morgan Rielly. However, the big difference is Brodie hasn't been as good as he's been in recent years, and he knows it.
Brodie is getting more average ice time in Toronto this season than any of the previous three he's been with the Maple Leafs. However, he said he understands his underlying numbers aren't showing good results, and indicated his mind might be elsewhere at times.
Rielly, Brodie's main defence partner, said he gets what Brodie is going through, and he just hopes he can somehow help him get through it.