Brodziak is living proof that it's better late than never. He was passed over in the 2002 NHL Draft, and the 2003 draft was nearly complete when the Edmonton Oilers selected him in the seventh round (No. 214).

At the time Brodziak was in the Western Hockey League with Moose Jaw, with whom he spent five seasons after they selected him at No. 14 in the 1999 WHL Bantam Draft. He made his WHL debut at 15, playing two late-season games in 1999-2000.

Brodziak became a WHL regular in 2000-01 and had a breakout season in 2002-03, scoring 32 goals. After being drafted by the Oilers, Brodziak returned to Moose Jaw for one final season and had 39 goals and 93 points in 70 games, finishing third in the league in scoring. He was named to the 2004 WHL First All-Star Team and the 2004 CHL Second All-Star Team.

Brodziak turned pro with Edmonton of the American Hockey League in 2004-05, and made his NHL debut with the Oilers on Oct. 15, 2005, against the Calgary Flames. Brodziak played 10 games that season with Edmonton another six in 2006-07, scoring his first NHL goal March 17, 2007, against Curtis Sanford and the St. Louis Blues.

He became a full-time NHL player in 2007-08 and had 14 goals and 31 points in 80 games for the Oilers. On June 27, 2009, after two full seasons in Edmonton, he was traded to the Minnesota Wild.

In 2011-12 Brodziak was second on the Wild with 22 goals and tied for second with 44 points. He also led Minnesota with 70 takeaways, ranking 11th in the NHL. Brodziak had a six-game point streak from Jan. 19-Feb. 4, 2012. He was third on the Wild in shorthanded time on ice per game (1:54) in 2012-13 and made his Stanley Cup Playoff debut April 30, 2013, against the Chicago Blackhawks. On April 30, 2014, he had three assists in the Wild's victory against the Colorado Avalanche in Game 7 of the first round.

Brodziak signed as a free agent with the Blues on July 2, 2015. In 2015-16, his first season in St. Louis, three of his seven goals came with the Blues shorthanded.

NOTES & TRANSACTIONS

• WHL East First All-Star Team (2004)
• Canadian Major Junior Second All-Star Team (2004)
• Traded to Minnesota by Edmonton with Edmonton's 6th round pick (Darcy Kuemper) in 2009 NHL Draft for Dallas's 4th round pick (previously acquired, Edmonton selected Kyle Bigos) in 2009 NHL Draft and Minnesota's 5th round pick (Olivier Roy) in 2009 NHL Draft, June 27, 2009.
• Signed as a free agent by St. Louis, July 2, 2015.
• Signed as a free agent by Edmonton, July 1, 2018.
• Traded to Detroit by Edmonton with a conditional draft pick for Mike Green, February 23, 2020.