Brodin is carrying on Sweden's rich tradition of producing successful NHL defensemen.

Selected by the Minnesota Wild with the No. 10 pick in the 2011 NHL Draft, Brodin began his North American pro career with Houston of the American Hockey League during the 2012-13 NHL lockout. Brodin played in nine AHL games before sustaining a broken clavicle and missing nearly three months.

At 19, Brodin was the youngest defenseman in the NHL when he made his debut with the Wild against the Detroit Red Wings on Jan. 25, 2013. Brodin got his first NHL point, an assist, in that game, a 5-3 loss.

Brodin spent most of the season playing as part of Minnesota's top defense pairing with Ryan Suter and led all NHL rookies by averaging more than 23 minutes of ice time per game.

It took Brodin 23 games to score his first NHL goal. On March 14, 2013, Brodin's shot from the left face-off dot helped the Wild to a 5-3 win against the Colorado Avalanche. Brodin finished the 2012-13 season with two goals and 11 points in 45 games and just missed being named a finalist for the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie.

More importantly to the Wild, Brodin's play alongside Suter helped Minnesota return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in five years. Brodin's offensive play improved in his second season as he had eight goals and 19 points in 79 games while finishing second to Suter on the Wild in both blocked shots (117) and average ice time.

In October 2014, Minnesota signed Brodin to a six-year contract extension. He promptly rewarded the Wild's faith with another solid season that saw him earn his first votes as a Norris Trophy candidate. In the 2016 postseason, Brodin scored his first playoff goal in Game 6 of the first round against the Dallas Stars, but Minnesota was eliminated. He played at least 68 games in each of his first seven full NHL seasons, averaging at least 20 minutes of ice time in six of them.

NOTES & TRANSACTIONS

• NHL All-Rookie Team (2013)