What to do with T.J. Brodie...

[Gaskal]

Originally Posted by RoughRiderRowdy

Do you even watch the games? How is he playing defensively?

He is alright, at least he is in position most of the time. However he could be stronger on the backcheck sometimes. I get that having an enormous 6'5 reach with a giant stick to match is an advantage, but he could really lay into some forwards more if he wanted to. Gio should be able to cover. Of course, the one time Gio lays a massive hit, Dougie 'clears' the puck right into a Stars forward... but in principle it should still work. People just don't fear the Flames physically and he's one player who has what it takes to change that perspective.

Dougie is also decent with the puck in his own end. However he gets victimized in crease scrambles because they get inside his reach and he's trying to swat a puck bouncing at his feet with an absurdly long stick. It makes him look like a doofus swinging away at a bouncing puck with repeated whiffs when some opposing forward just comes in and swipes it in first try.

He's also got pretty decent foot speed. Unfortunately sometimes forgets to actually keep his feet moving though. Particularly when containing the rush, which leads to some "WTF" moments where he has to turn to forwards skate and break up a rush rather than just angling the guy off like Gio typically does.

So TLDR: Dougie just needs to stop being a birdbrain and he's an automatic Norris winner!

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by RoughRiderRowdy

Do you even watch the games? How is he playing defensively?

You've hated Hamilton from the beginning.

Personally, I think he looks fine. He and Giordano form one of the best pairings in the league. That's not the issue.

[flamesfever]

PLease put Brodie back with Gio. Try Hamilton with Stone or trade him for someone special.

[activeStick]

His struggles have more to do with losing this team's best defenceman as a partner than him being on the left side.

Remember when some people here were certain Treliving regretted the Giordano signing the minute they signed it?

[Galakanokis]

Originally Posted by The Original FFIV

Very good take. Question for you. Is Brodie the type of D that thrives in a position where he is the man and if so, have the additions we’ve made messed with his head a bit, thereby negatively affecting his game?

His best D was played while he wasn't the man, playing with Gio who many considered to be in the Norris talk at the time. I think the hope was Brodie could carry a pairing but that hasn't panned out. I think, in general, Brodie is way to passive to be the "man", I don't think he is looked at as a leader by teammates but it feels forced from the coaching staff with the minutes and roles he is playing in.

I think Hamonic needs to step up and take control of the pairing but is unable to due to being new to the team. The dominate on a paring is natural and cannot be forced, it just works itself out. Think of how bad Regehr-Phaneuf were, just a forced pairing but Hamrlik-Phanuef had great chemistry.

These are just my feelings around it. Brodie doesn't look comfortable out there and hasn't for a long while now. Perhaps it is the left/right thing I don't know but something else needs to tried.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by activeStick

His struggles have more to do with losing this team's best defenceman as a partner than him being on the left side.

Remember when some people here were certain Treliving regretted the Giordano signing the minute they signed it?

Brodie has played at an elite level with such top pair defensemen as Kris Russell, Mike Stone, and Deryk Engelland. A real who's who of pair-carrying stalwarts.

Hamonic has played at a replacement level with such liabilities as Calvin De Haan, Nick Leddy, and now TJ Brodie. All guys who need to be out of the league asap. Those other two have totally not flourished since Hamonic got hurt in January, nope. Leddy isn't totally having a breakout season.

[Vinny01]

They should try and move him to the right side.

[Heavy Jack]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

They should try and move him to the right side.

Giordano - Brodie
Stone - Hamilton
Kulak - Hamonic

That’s what I’d like to see for a couple games. Before Gio went down the year we went to round 2 that D pair of Gio/Brodes was unreal for us and I’d like to see it again but we’ll be lucky to see Brouwer removed from the PP at this point. Gulutzan plays favourites for the wrong old vets on this team. Brouwer and Stajan are being overplayed and have no future with the team. Bennett on the PK is good but putting him there with Brouwer or Stajan is a waste of organizational depth. McDavid is playing the PK, we should be throwing Monahan out there and growing that part of his game even more. Heck I’d even like to see Johnny take some reps on the PK and burn the D for breakaways.

The coaching just hasn’t been creative to me, it’s predictable and guys like Johnny/Mony are producing in spite of the systems.

Move Brodie back to the right side, it opens up the rush for him again and allows for that backhand sauce pass to the forward keeping pace. He’s looked uncomfortable defensively on his natural side much of the time and again has put up points in spite of the difficulties it’s clearly given his defensive game which was never his best attribute to begin with.

Patience is starting to run thin now for me after that game last night, GG has had too many of these stretches where this team seems disinterested to the point where they are tuning him out.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Galakanokis

My take on Brodie.

As an old school defenseman the biggest key between partners is chemistry and we are now on our third partner that has pretty bad chemistry with Brodie. Partners need to be able to read off of each other and Brodie is extremely tough to read. Long stretch pass, spin o-rama and reverse, dump into the corner, pass behind the net? You never know what Brodie is going to do and it's tough as the other D as you don't know where to be. With Giordano, he was the dominate of the two, Brodie fed off of him and away they went. Plus, Giordano is really, really good and could make up for Brodie's miscues. With Brodie's new pairings he is considered to be the dominate and Stone, Hamonic have to read off of him and it is just not working. No clue how to fix that part of it but that is my take anyways. I don't mind the Hamonic trade still as my gut tells me Brodie is the problem on the pairing.

I still want a Giordano-Hamonic top, shutdown pairing. I think they would be really good together. Stone and Brodie would be fine as well. Not sure a Hamilton-Kulak pairing is capable but I honestly don't mind Kulak's game but he is prone to pinch's and mistakes and there is no way Hamilton can cover. Something has to change that I am certain off, just not sure how you do it.

I would start by shrinking his minutes though. Giordano is still our best defenseman and should be played as much. Put him back on the top PP and get Brodie down to under 20mins a game.

Originally Posted by Gaskal

He is alright, at least he is in position most of the time. However he could be stronger on the backcheck sometimes. I get that having an enormous 6'5 reach with a giant stick to match is an advantage, but he could really lay into some forwards more if he wanted to. Gio should be able to cover. Of course, the one time Gio lays a massive hit, Dougie 'clears' the puck right into a Stars forward... but in principle it should still work. People just don't fear the Flames physically and he's one player who has what it takes to change that perspective.

Dougie is also decent with the puck in his own end. However he gets victimized in crease scrambles because they get inside his reach and he's trying to swat a puck bouncing at his feet with an absurdly long stick. It makes him look like a doofus swinging away at a bouncing puck with repeated whiffs when some opposing forward just comes in and swipes it in first try.

He's also got pretty decent foot speed. Unfortunately sometimes forgets to actually keep his feet moving though. Particularly when containing the rush, which leads to some "WTF" moments where he has to turn to forwards skate and break up a rush rather than just angling the guy off like Gio typically does.

So TLDR: Dougie just needs to stop being a birdbrain and he's an automatic Norris winner!

Originally Posted by Galakanokis

His best D was played while he wasn't the man, playing with Gio who many considered to be in the Norris talk at the time. I think the hope was Brodie could carry a pairing but that hasn't panned out. I think, in general, Brodie is way to passive to be the "man", I don't think he is looked at as a leader by teammates but it feels forced from the coaching staff with the minutes and roles he is playing in.

I think Hamonic needs to step up and take control of the pairing but is unable to due to being new to the team. The dominate on a paring is natural and cannot be forced, it just works itself out. Think of how bad Regehr-Phaneuf were, just a forced pairing but Hamrlik-Phanuef had great chemistry.

These are just my feelings around it. Brodie doesn't look comfortable out there and hasn't for a long while now. Perhaps it is the left/right thing I don't know but something else needs to tried.

Strongly agree with all of this.

[heep223]

Put him back in his natural habitat. If coaching staffs egos will ever let that happen.

[redforever]

I would keep Brodie any day of the week over Hamilton.

Dougie came with this big fancy bow on the box and he did get it together for awhile last year. But this year he is just a slow moving 6'4" pylon who does not skate, who does not hit, who is contributing little both offensively and defensively, and who looks totally disinterested on the ice.

I can't believe how soft he plays.

[flamesfever]

Originally Posted by heep223

Put him back in his natural habitat. If coaching staffs egos will ever let that happen.

I think rather than an ego thing, the resistance to change has more to do with trying to get the most out of expensive players who have been acquired by the present management.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by flamesfever

I think rather than an ego thing, the resistance to change has more to do with trying to get the most out of expensive players who have been acquired by the present management.

There is a massive amount of organizational pressure to try to get brouwer going so that he can either be productive for the flames or for him to have enough trade value to be moved.

The organization is staring down the barrel of a huge liability with him right now and are doing everything they can to avoid buying him out at the end if the year.

Win now mantra has killed this organization.

[Split98]

Never been a fan of GGs insistence in keeping Brodie on HIS off side. Brodie played well with Giordano, and I think it's time for GG to admit that this isn't working.

I understand what he was going for, and I understand his insistence on giving it time. But I think this has been given enough time. Brodie played best with Giordano, and Hamilton isn't exactly playing his best hockey right now. A shuffle on our blueline could turn this team around.

Giordano - Brodie
Hamilton - Hamonic
Kulak - Stone

I do think Brodie is a great player. I think his personal life, and playing his off side are crippling him. Put the guy in a position he will succeed in.

[Flash Walken]

Is anyone going to address Gaskals point that Brodie was playing his 'off wing' 30 minutes a night when gio went down a couple years ago?

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Is anyone going to address Gaskals point that Brodie was playing his 'off wing' 30 minutes a night when gio went down a couple years ago?

Brodie-Engelland was a bad pair. Brodie's best moments when Giordano went down came on Russell-Brodie and Shlemko-Brodie

[Gaskal]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Is anyone going to address Gaskals point that Brodie was playing his 'off wing' 30 minutes a night when gio went down a couple years ago?

I'm guessing that it boils down to something like this...

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Is anyone going to address Gaskals point that Brodie was playing his 'off wing' 30 minutes a night when gio went down a couple years ago?

Sure.

The guy was having a great season, and playing with a ton of confidence. The fact that he was able to continue to play well, for a relatively short period of time, on the other side, is hardly an indictment against the larger collection of data that clearly shows him to be a better player on the right side.

Confidence is a huge thing. Also, coaches watch film - it usually takes a while before the coaching fraternity discovers, and then begins to exploit, the weaknesses of players. But eventually, they will.

[Jimdon]

Originally Posted by redforever

I would keep Brodie any day of the week over Hamilton.

Dougie came with this big fancy bow on the box and he did get it together for awhile last year. But this year he is just a slow moving 6'4" pylon who does not skate, who does not hit, who is contributing little both offensively and defensively, and who looks totally disinterested on the ice.

I can't believe how soft he plays.

A 6'4" pylon who has some of the best underlying numbers in the league.Hes 24 years old and has 3 40 plus point seasons under his belt and is on pace to do it again despite not getting #1 PP minutes. It's crazy how people are ready to throw him away because they feel like he doesn't hit enough. Theres 30 other teams in the league that would love to have a Hamilton "problem".

[IrishSpring2013]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

Brodie has played at an elite level with such top pair defensemen as Kris Russell, Mike Stone, and Deryk Engelland.].

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

Brodie-Engelland was a bad pair

???