Martin Brodeur: 5 Reasons He Must Be Replaced Now

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The New Jersey Devils need to cut ties with Martin Brodeur and move forward as an organization.

Right now they’re in ninth place and on the outside looking in at the Eastern Conference contenders. With Brodeur in goal they don’t have a realistic chance at making any noise come postseason.

I know Brodeur is a beloved fixture in Newark, but replacing him with some youth is a must for both the organization and Marty himself.

There are six solid reasons for this move needing to take place. Let's dive in and see what they are.

Age

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Right now Martin Brodeur is 39 years old and starting to show his age.

He’s reacting noticeably slower to shots and that may have something to do with his lingering shoulder issues.

At that age, lingering injuries make things a lot tougher on your body and mind than when you’re 30 or even 35 years old.

Goals Against Average

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Right now Marty has a 2.81 GAA, which is by far his worst average for any season in which he’s been the main guy.

Before this season, his worst goals against average was 2.57 back in the 2005-06 season.

He may or may not change this for the better, but is it worth it for the New Jersey Devils to stick it out and hope he does? I say no.

Keith Kinkaid

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The New Jersey Devils have a kid on their AHL team, the Albany Devils, who is showing that he belongs in the NHL.

Keith Kinkaid has a 2.55 GAA with Albany and is only 22 years old. This kid is young, talented and only getting better.

It may be time to bring him up permanently and start giving the kid some NHL ice time.

Johan Hedberg

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I know that Johan Hedberg is only one year younger than Martin Brodeur, but Hedberg is obviously playing at a higher level right now and doesn’t look to be slowing down.

Right now he’s 7-4-1 with a 2.24 GAA and it's clear that he’s the best goalie for the New Jersey Devils.

One More for Marty

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It happens in all sports. A guy will stay with one team his whole career—15+ years—and the flame seems to eventually fizzle out.

Once that happens, they end up going to another team for one season and try to make one last run at a championship.

The New Jersey Devils may want to consider trading Marty Brodeur to a serious contender and possibly get themselves a talented defenseman in return. This would give Marty one last run at hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup, because it’s not happening in Jersey this year or next.

 

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