5 Unexpectedly Rising NHL Stars
TJ Brodie, Defense, Calgary Flames, drafted 4th round, 114th overall in 2008
Now in his fourth full NHL season, TJ Brodie has rocketed up the Calgary Flames’ depth chart and now finds himself on the top pairing with Mark Giordano.
In 2013-14, he posted 31 points in over 24 minutes played per game and was the Flames’ only defenseman other than Giordano not to be a negative +/- player.
He’s drawn some comparisons to reigning Norris Trophy winner Duncan Keith, and deservedly so. Brodie skates really well, and at 23 years old, each posted a 31-point campaign with similar numbers across the board.
With seven points in his first seven games this year, look for Brodie to take the next step in his development and become a bona fide top-pairing defenseman in the NHL.