Free Agent TJ Brennan Receives Offer From KHL Team

Free Agent TJ Brennan Receives 1-Year $1.5 Million Dollar Offer From a KHL Team

American Hockey League Defenseman of the Year/unrestricted free agent TJ Brennan has a received a one-year $1.5 million dollar offer from the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

On Sunday, the Toronto Sun reported that an unknown KHL team had their eyes set on Toronto Marlies D T.J. Brennan. KHL reporter Aivis Kalnins confirmed those reports on Monday, which is where the term/salary figures came from.

According to Kalnins, free agent TJ Brennan is attracting attention from more than one European club.

As Sportsnet words it, a $1.5 million dollar offer would be a lucrative pay raise for free agent TJ Brennan.

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At the same time, it is only a reported one-year deal – that wouldn’t make you overly comfortable as a player; Especially when you consider the amount of money some players make in the KHL, that $1.5 million dollars isn’t as hefty as it may seem.

At the same time, there’s not a whole lot keeping Brennan in North America. It’s not as though NHL teams are lining up to sign the AHL D-Man of the Year; why is that? A once highly touted prospect, T.J. never managed to secure a NHL roster spot through his numerous call-ups.

Regarded as a gifted offensive blueliner, his inability to reach the NHL can be traced back to a few major factors.

The most obvious, he can be a major defensive liability at the highest level. Even if he tries to play more defensively responsible during call-up’s, he tends to run around a little more, almost looking lost at times. This also takes away from his greatest attribute, his offensive skills.

It’s a classic case of a record we’ve seen repeat itself many times before.

You’ve got a player who excels at the American Hockey League (AHL) level, but as the game gets just a little bit faster, and decisions need to be made a split-second or so quicker, guys like free agent TJ Brennan simply can’t keep up with the mental speed at the highest level.

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Names in recent memory that come to mind are Keith Aucoin or Jason Krog. Aucoin sits among the All-Time leaders in AHL scoring, while Krog was a NCAA standout for the University of New Hampshire.

Other than a 25-point season with Anaheim, Jason Krog never managed to make an imprint on the NHL (even with the Atlanta Thrashers). Instead he enjoyed some highly productive AHL seasons, which included 112 points back in 2007-08.

Now 27-years-old, it seems free agent TJ Brennan might not be that late bloomer Thomas Hickey type the Toronto Maple Leafs hoped he would develop into when they brought him.

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Instead, it seems he may take a similar route we’ve seen former Leafs take in recent years (i.e. Brandon Kozun). Maybe the KHL is exactly what Brennan needs; he can take a year or more away from the NHL, attempt to further develop his game in a completely different style/setting.

Who knows, if he plays well enough, he might even be able to earn one last crack at the NHL before he turns 30. Whatever he may decide to do with his hockey career moving forward, we wish T.J. Brennan all the best in his future endeavors.