I'm not sure what the advanced stats present or past say, but even when Brodie was playing at his best, I never thought he was great defensively. He could get back to the zone fast, but always has been fairly easy to beat in a board battle and wasn't that good in front of the net. He was pretty lucky to play with Gio, who is far more rounded. That's why I always rejected the notion that he was the best defenceman on the Flames when it was posted.
I like Brodie a lot but there are definite holes in his game and they've always been there. They've been masked somewhat by his great skating and passing.
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