The Philadelphia Flyers have today bolstered their defensive ranks with the multi-year signing of T.J. Brennan. Brennan was most recently with the Toronto Maple Leafs’ AHL affiliates the Toronto Marlies, where he won his second Eddie Shore Award, which is given to the best defenseman in the AHL.
Brennan previously won the award whilst playing for the Marlies in the 2013/2014 season.
The New Jersey native has good size for an NHL defenseman, standing at 6’1’’ and 216lbs, and could provide the Flyers with some much-needed depth in their ageing defensive core.With the likes of Mark Streit (38) and Nick Shultz (33) both on the wrong side of thirty, the addition of the 27-year-old Brennan gives head coach Dave Hakstol options along the blueline.
Since being drafted by the Buffalo Sabres as a 2nd round pick in the 2007 NHL draft, Brennan has proven himself to be an exceptional player at AHL level. Brennan has featured in 443 regular season games in the AHL, earning 113 goals and 319 total points. The right-hander also totalled 34 points in 45 postseason games at this level.
The former Maple Leaf has also picked up 53 regular season appearances in the NHL, with 5 goals and 13 total points to his name, during spells with the Sabres, Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers. Brennan has agreed a $1.25 million, two-year deal with the Flyers, carrying a cap hit of just $625’000 a season.
His contract also has a 2-way clause, meaning he can be sent down to the Flyers’ AHL affiliates without needing to clear waivers.
