T.J. Brodie to return to Toronto Maple Leafs after 12-game injury absence

Toronto Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe has confirmed that T.J. Brodie will return to Toronto’s lineup on Thursday after missing the past 12 games with an oblique injury.

Brodie, 32, played in 15 games before the injury, recording two assists while playing in the team’s top four. His return comes at a crucial time for the Leafs, who are without Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin, Jordie Benn and now Victor Mete due to injuries. Brodie will slot into the team’s bottom pairing with Conor Timmins, who made his Leafs debut earlier this week.

Brodie is in his third season with the Leafs, playing every game of the past two seasons as one of the team’s most consistent defenders. He spent the first 10 years of his career with the Calgary Flames after getting drafted 114th overall back in 2008. Brodie’s deal with Toronto runs until the end of 2023-24 with an AAV of $5 million.

The Leafs went 9-0-3 in Brodie’s absence to make them one of the hottest teams in the league. Toronto’s strong goaltending was a big reason why, helping to make up for a depleted defense corps. Brodie’s presence will be a big boost after having to rely a lot on Mark Giordano and Justin Holl in recent weeks, while young guns Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren continue to show promise.

So having Brodie back will be a big help for a team that’s already flying high.

The Leafs currently sit second in the Atlantic Division with a 16-5-6 record. They’re five points behind the Boston Bruins with two games in hand, but seven points clear of the Detroit Red Wings in third.

Toronto needed a free roster spot to activate Brodie, so they sent forward Semyon Der-Arguchintsev back to the Toronto Marlies after making his NHL debut on Tuesday.