FARMERS BRANCH, Texas — TJ Brodie was feeling sore after he injured his oblique during the Toronto Maple Leafs' 4-2 loss against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Nov. 11, but he didn't know how bad it was until he took the warmup against the Vancouver Canucks the following night.
"I just couldn't shoot," Brodie said. "If you can't do that then the battles are going to be tough. So I thought it would be better for someone else to go in and get it checked out."
That's when Brodie discovered he had an oblique injury. The defenseman took part in his first full practice on Monday since he was diagnosed and is on the mend.
"I think it's definitely close," he said. "It's at the stage now where you just try to add a bit more each day and hopefully not go backwards and then get in [to the lineup] sooner or later."
Brodie just added shooting into his recovery this past week and it's been difficult to pinpoint exactly the veteran defenseman will return.
"I don't think he's too far away so I don't think we're ruling him out for anything past tomorrow [against the Dallas Stars], Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said of Brodie. "We'll just have to see how he responds from today's practice."
The Maple Leafs have responded well without veteran defensemen like Brodie, Morgan Rielly (knee) and Jake Muzzin (spine) all out of the lineup.
Brodie has been particularly impressed with how 39-year-old Mark Giordano has adjusted with the increased workload.
"I know he loves playing that much," Brodie said with a smile on his face. "He always has and it's been fun to watch."
Toronto is definitely not in a mode where they feel they need to rush Brodie along. The club is riding high as of late with an 8-0-3 record since the 32-year-old has been out of action and that has given the defenseman some comfort while recovering.
But only some.
"Maybe a little, but at the end of the day, I want to be back in no matter what," he said. "The guys have been rolling and hopefully we can continue that and I can be a part of that, too."
In 15 games this season, Brodie has averaged 21:23 of ice time. He has also recorded two assists.
Analysis
When Brodie returns, that should help bolster the Leafs' depth. Although Toronto has shown an impressive record with him in the lineup, cracks developed defensively against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
The third pair of Victor Mete and Mac Hollowell were the worst two Toronto players from an expected-goals standpoint. Conor Timmins will play in place of Hollowell on Tuesday against the Dallas Stars but Brodie's return could push Mete out down the line.
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