At 41-years of age New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur has his best days in the National Hockey League in the rear view mirror. Brodeur is the NHL’s all-time leader in wins by a goalie with 672. Brodeur’s professional hockey accomplishments include being a nine-time NHL All-Star and a three-time Stanley Cup Champion. In 1994, Brodeur earned the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie and he is a four-time winner of the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goalie. On top of that Brodeur is a two-time Olympic gold medalist as a member of the Canadian National Hockey team. All of these accolades will allow Brodeur to coast into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto when his playing career culminates. Brodeur has spent his entire 23-year NHL career with the Devils, but like many other greats in the sports world the end appears to be near.
After helping the Devils reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the fifth time in franchise history during the 2011-2012 NHL season, Broduer suffered a downward slide last season. Last season Brodeur was only able to appear in 29 of the 48 regular season games of the NHL’s lockout shortened season due to a back injury as the Devils missed the postseason for the second time in three years.
Seeing the need to get younger between the pipes Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello acquired goalie Cory Schneider from the Vancouver Canucks this past off-season. Schneider is 14 years the junior of Brodeur and he also symbolizes the future in Newark for the Devils. Through 15 games this season Devils head coach Peter DeBoer has split the time with his goalies right down the middle as this season looks to be a transitional year for New Jersey. Following the Devils berth in the Stanley Cup Finals in 2012, the NHL’s salary cap hit New Jersey hard as the team lost left winger Zach Parise in free agency as he signed with the Minnesota Wild. After the 2012-2013 season culminated right winger Ilya Kovalchuk decided to abruptly retire at the age of 30 and return to his native Russia. After losing his top two scorers Lamoriello knows that he must rebuild the Devils who are currently sitting in 6th place of the Metropolitan Division. Would that rebuilding of the Devils include trading Brodeur?
According to ESPNNewYork.com, Brodeur wants to remain with the Devils, but he would mull the idea of being traded if Lamoriello approached him on the matter. Early on in this NHL season the Pittsburgh Penguins have emerged as contenders. The Penguins are currently the top team in the Eastern Conference with their eyes on another title run. Last year in the playoffs Marc-Andre Fleury began the postseason as the Penguins top goalie, but he was later benched in favor of Tomas Vokoun. Now, Vokoun is currently out for 3-6 months as the result of blood clots. Could Penguins general manager Ray Shero be in line to take on a veteran goalie such as Broduer?
Broduer is in the final year of his extension that he signed in 2012 which means that this season will more than likely be the swan song for one of the best goalies that the NHL has ever seen. Brodeur has helped the Devils and the state of New Jersey reach heights in hockey that they had never been seen before. Brodeur has always been loved by fans of the Devils and despised by fans of the team’s key rival right across the Hudson River in the New York Rangers. Where Brodeur will finish this season is currently unknown, but he has indeed left a lasting impact on the NHL.
Source: Hockey-reference.com
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