Chicago Blackhawks Expected to Buyout Contract of 900-Game NHL Veteran

Brodie signed a two-year, $7.5 million deal last summer, but his 2024-25 campaign was way off the pace.

Much of Brodie's $3.225 million salary next season is tied in the form of a $2.45 million signing bonus that can't be prorated in a buyout. His base salary will drop from $775,000 to $517,000 and be prorated over two years.

The buyout will save the Blackhawks $517,000 in 2025-26, but he'll still count $3.23 million against the cap in that season and $258,000 in 2026-27.

It's almost a certainty they'll buy out defenseman T.J. Brodie, who struggled in his first Blackhawks season and was scratched for the last six weeks as younger players such as Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel cracked the lineup. A Brodie buyout would only save the Blackhawks $516,667 on the cap next season and would cost them $258,333 on the cap in 2026-27, but the savings aren't the point. It's about clearing Brodie's roster spot and doing right by a veteran who could find a more substantial role elsewhere.

- The Athletic

Following his steady top-four blue liner status with Calgary and Toronto, Brodie's decline was evident last season. He earned just 10 points in 54 games and was a healthy scratch for the final 22 games, even when Chicago acquired Seth Jones.

Despite his experience, the 35-year-old was sent to the bench, which raises even more doubts about whether he can maintain the pace at the NHL level.

With younger, more skilled defensemen on the horizon to assume roles in Kevin Korchinski, Artyom Levshunov, Nolan Allan, and Sam Rinzel, and veterans Alex Vlasic and Connor Murphy anchoring the group, there's no room left for Brodie on the Blackhawks' blue line.

Rather than keep him buried or reassigned, the organization is choosing to release him and let Brodie attempt to find a new team, and presumably on a lesser contract.