HawkTalkChi

With younger blue liners pushing into the system and TJ Brodie falling out of the lineup, the Chicago Blackhawks could move on from the veteran via buyout this offseason.

Brodie scratched since March as youth movement takes over

It’s been months since TJ Brodie dressed for a game, and it might stay that way.

Since being scratched on March 1, the veteran defenseman has been a ghost in the Blackhawks’ lineup. Now, according to Daily Faceoff, Chicago is seriously considering a buyout.

Brodie still has one year left on his deal, carrying a $3.75 million cap hit. But after losing his spot to Wyatt Kaiser, and with more young defensemen arriving from Rockford, his role on this team is disappearing fast.

Rockford pipeline, draft picks fueling overcrowded blue line

This decision isn’t about money. It’s about space.

The Blackhawks are in transition. Prospects are graduating, and the back end is getting crowded. Players like Kevin Korchinski and Nolan Allan are ready for more minutes. Others are on the way.

That leaves veterans like Brodie on the bubble.

A buyout would stretch over two years. The team would pay Brodie $3.25 million in the first, followed by $258,000 in year two. That’s a hit the Hawks can live with, especially if it means more development time for the next wave.

Leadership never clicked as Brodie faded from the lineup

When Brodie signed, it made sense. He brought experience, calm, and was expected to help guide a young group through another rebuilding year. But plans don’t always go as designed.

Once March hit, he wasn’t part of the equation anymore.

He finished the year with just 54 games played, scoring 2 goals and 8 assists. And while the numbers weren’t disastrous, they weren’t enough to keep him in the lineup — not with younger, hungrier players breathing down his neck.

Fresh start for Brodie, and clarity for the Blackhawks 

If the Blackhawks follow through with the buyout, Brodie will hit the open market in July.

There’s still a chance another team picks him up for depth or leadership. But his time in Chicago, short as it was, looks just about done.

For Kyle Davidson, this would be one more step in clearing the runway for the organization’s future. The message is clear: development comes first.

That means tough calls, and this might be one of them.