Maple Leafs defenseman TJ Brodie knows Mark Giordano as well as any player in the NHL, so he has a sound insight into why the veteran defenseman may be the piece to the playoff puzzle that the organization has been trying to find over the past five seasons.
“We’ve known each other for a long time now, he’s one of those guys I can see being friends with for the rest of my life,” Brodie said, a day after Toronto acquired the Seattle Kraken captain in a trade.
The 38-year-old Giordano is the only undrafted defenseman to win the Norris Trophy. He was also Brodie’s defensive partner in Calgary for years and Brodie, along with several other Leafs, believes he could be a player who helps the teams advance past the first round of the playoffs after five years of disappointments.
“He’s just so easy to play with,” Brodie said. “Offensively, he’s always up on the play and ready to jump (into a rush, or a scoring chance) … defensively, he’s just as good, always in a good position, always in a good spot. He can get you out of trouble.
Giordano and Colin Blackwell, the buzz saw forward also acquired in the deal with Seattle, will practice with the team Tuesday are expected to play Wednesday against New Jersey.
But the Leafs will be without Rasmus Sandin, the promising young blueliner who suffered a knee injury Saturday and will be out “for the foreseeable future,” according to Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe.
Keefe said there will be a feeling-out process with Giordano before he decides on a definitive pairing.
“We’ll see,” Keefe said. “With (Jake) Muzzin still being out, that obviously changes the dynamic of our defense. So we’ll bring Gio in and try different things and I imagine what we start with won’t be how it goes all the way through. Obviously, he’s a guy who can contribute to the game in many different ways, at five-on-five, power play, penalty kill … He’ll get opportunities in all situations
Muzzin has looked solid in practice, but still needs time to clear all the protocol tests associated with recovery from a concussion.
The Leaf’s. though, I think Giordano was a great get for GM Kyle Dubas. “I think he’s just a guy who’s played in all facets of the game,” forward Jason Spezza said. “He’s been in the trenches, he’s great defensively, he’s run power plays before … He’s just a great addition to our group.”
Leafs goalie Jack Campbell (rib injury) skated on his own again Monday. Keefe said the team will “ramp up” his involvement in the coming days.
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