Brodin was born on 12 July 1993, in Karlstad, Sweden,[1] to Stefan and Kristina and grew up alongside siblings Alexandra and Christoffer.

Scout Grant Sonier praised Brodin, saying: "He's an exceptional puck retrieval and transitional defenseman...He has the ability to process pressure and make an excellent first pass.

[7] On 12 July 2011, the Wild signed him to a three-year, entry-level contract but was returned to Sweden for another season to further his development before making the jump to the NHL.

[1] Due to the NHL lockout, Brodin and fellow prospects Charlie Coyle, and Mikael Granlund joined the Wild's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Houston Aeros for the 2012–13 season.

As the youngest defenceman to play in the NHL during the 2012–13 season, he also became the eighth first-year skater in League history to average more than 23 minutes per game.

[18] Brodin remained with Suter during the Wild's 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs first round series against the Chicago Blackhawks, playing 34 minutes in his Game 1 debut.

[18] Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher publicly criticized the Professional Hockey Writers Association for not nominating Brodin as a Calder Trophy finalist.

[20] In his sophomore season, Brodin's defensive play earned him praise from head coach Scotty Bowman, who said: "He doesn’t have a gap.

[24] Brodin tallied one assist in his first two games with the Wild to start the 2014–15 season before signing a six-year, $25 million contract extension on 12 October 2014.

He rejoined the team on 15 January where he played 20 minutes of ice time and assisted on Marcus Foligno's third period goal against the New York Islanders to help secure a 5–0 win.