We’ve looked at Brooks Laich, Artem Anisimov and Alex Burmistrov as options for the Edmonton Oilers to fill their vacant second line center spot. That’s only three options however, and the Oilers will need to have a list a little longer than that. Former Oiler Kyle Brodziak is not a sexy name or even close to an ideal target, but he may be on the market and may be a decent stop-gap option for the team moving forward.
The Contract:
Brodziak is entering a contract year and will earn 2.833 M against the salary cap. He’s a guy that comes in with a relatively low cap hit and would only be a one-year stop gap option at worst. This would give the Oilers flexibility to either bring him back on a cheaper deal, or move him out and allow a younger player like Leon Draisaitl to step up.
The Wild have about $12 M in cap space as of July 15th, but still need to get a few RFA’s re-signed and make a few depth moves. The Wild have a number of high potential centers that could jump up and take NHL employment at a cheaper rate than Brodziak, making Kyle a potential trade chip.
He was rumored to be potentially on the market earlier this off-season.
The Player:
Kyle Brodziak was a Craig MacTavish favorite towards the end of his reign behind the Oiler bench in the late 2000’s. Brodziak is a veteran player at age 30 who brings the intangibles wanted by the Oilers, as well as some decent skill.
He’s a bigger guy checking in at 6’2”, and isn’t afraid to throw his body around, making him valuable in that regard. He’s more of a two-way center that does the little things right, but he’s also able to put up some points when given the chance, which wasn’t the case this past year.
He’s a guy that usually stays healthy, as he has barely missed any games the last few seasons for the Wild. This is a durable player that you can count on night in and night out to be in the lineup.
The Style:
Kyle Brodziak isn’t your typical top-six forward, in fact it might be safe to say that his style of play does not fit that of a second line center. That said, the Oilers need to be open to everything, and this is a guy that can still improve an NHL lineup.
He’s a guy that, as mentioned, doesn’t mind playing the body and playing a tough game, using his size in the tough Western Conference. He’s a guy that does all the little things right, like face-offs and defensive play, which make him a strong two-way option down the middle.
Offensively, Brodziak produces when given the chance. He scored 37 points in 80 games during the 2010-11 season, and added 44 more points in 82 games in 2011-12. That’s top-six level offensive production, and it came with him playing about 18.6 minutes a night during that 2011-12 campaign.
The 48 game season of 2013 saw a decline, to just 12 points, and this year saw him pot only 24 points in 81 games. That isn’t top-six level production, but it is worth noting he saw his ice time get cut during those two seasons in a big way, and saw his shooting percentage dip to below 10%.
With more ice time and an average shooting percentage, it’s a decent assumption that his offense would increase to around 35-40 points again.
He’s a guy that can play special teams as well, mainly the penalty-kill. Brodziak was used quite a bit in short-handed situations last year, and that has been a trend throughout his career. He’d likely be able to slide in behind Boyd Gordon as the number two center for the PK units.
He rarely played on the power-play, but did see some minutes in that spot during his best seasons with the Wild prior to the 2012-13 shortened season. That could be something worth keeping an eye on.
As for the Corsi numbers, he’s posted average to weak numbers here. He posted a 43.9% mark during the regular season this year, which is not very good, and posted a 48.8% mark during the 2013 season. He was 44.4% in 2011-12 and 47.5% in 2010-11. This simply tells us he is a below average possession player, but we do have to keep in mind the Wild were weak here until last season.
The Ransom:
The Wild will be looking for defenders most likely, because after Ryan Suter, Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon, the Wild don’t have much experience. They’d likely be interested in a player like Jeff Petry, who Edmonton seems likely to move for help at the center ice position. Petry could easily bring back Brodziak in a trade.
That said, it is worth mentioning that it would be a MAJOR overpayment on Edmonton’s part to move Petry for a guy like Brodziak. Perhaps a prospect like David Musil and a pick could get the job done as well.
The Final Call:
Old friend Kyle Brodziak would certainly help the Oilers out in a number of different areas, mainly on the penalty kill and in the top-nine forward group. He’s got a history of producing decent offense, but is coming off two tough seasons in that regard, and he is a below average possession player according to the numbers.
There are some warts here, and this is likely a third liner we are talking about, but if he is on the market for a cheap price, and the Oilers strike out elsewhere, a reunion with Brodziak isn’t the worst thing that could happen here.
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