For as much as they were a close, come-from-behind team all last season, the Calgary Flames were in trouble if one of their top guys went down. Sure, they may have managed to make the second round of the playoffs with a chewing gum-patched together defence once Mark Giordano went down, but it certainly wasn't pretty.
While injuries can derail even the best teams' seasons, and you never know what's around the corner, it certainly doesn't hurt to have a few more options waiting in the wings. Shortly after Giordano went down, TJ Brodie sustained an ankle injury, and that, combined with regularly playing with Deryk Engelland, limited his effectiveness.