Maple Leafs agree to four-year contract with defenceman T.J. Brodie

October 09, 2020 - 8:52pm

Watch as Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas speaks with the media following Toronto's signing of defenseman T. J. Brodie to a 4-year/$20 million deal on the first day of NHL Free Agency.

The Toronto Maple Leafs reinforced their blue line Friday by agreeing to terms with free agent defenceman T.J. Brodie, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports.

The contract is for four years and carries an average annual value of $5 million.

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Brodie, 30, has played his entire 10-year career with the Calgary Flames. A left-shooting defender, he kills penalties and should slot into the Leafs’ top-four next season.

By signing Brodie, the Leafs are now approximately $1 million over the $81.5 million salary cap according to CapFriendly.com, but teams are allowed to operate up to 10 per cent above the cap during the off-season. Based on the value of the contract, signing Brodie will likely take the Maple Leafs out of the Alex Pietrangelo sweepstakes.

Earlier in the day, the Maple Leafs signed forward Wayne Simmonds to a one-year, $1.5-million contract. The team still needs to come to terms with restricted free agents Travis Dermott and Ilya Mikheyev, meaning more moves will need to be made.