Martin Brodeur More a Product of New Jersey Devils, Rather Than His Own Ability?

Martin Brodeur will be off to the Hockey Hall of Fame after he puts away his pads, there's no doubt about that.

Some will say it was because he had tremendous ability, while others will think he was just the beneficiary of a strong defensive system that helped the New Jersey Devils net three Stanley Cup titles.

I'd say it's been a bit of both.

Brodeur has been the Devils' last line of defense since 1994. But, until 2004, he had three pretty good defensemen in front of him in Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer and Ken Daneyko. One is in the Hall of Fame, one should get there soon, one played his entire career in New Jersey and all three have had their numbers retired by the Devils.

It's no coincidence that the Devils won three Cups with that trio on the blueline, and the last two Cups also came with the addition a fourth solid d-man in Brian Rafalski.

The Devils also played the neutral-zone trap to perfection in those days, choking off opponents' chances and making one-goal or two-goal leads insurmountable through that third and final Cup championship in 2003. 

Since Daneyko and Stevens retired, the Devils have not had that dominating, crease-clearing physical presence that No. 3 and No. 4 brought to the Meadowlands every night.

Since Niedermayer went to Anaheim and Rafalski went to Detroit, they have also not had that puck-moving presence or goal-scoring threat from the point. The trap is long gone, the Devils are now in Newark and New Jersey also doesn't hold leads like it used to.

Losing his defensive foursome along with the trap system has undoubtedly impacted Brodeur's game. But, to suggest that just about anyone could have played goal for the Devils en route to those three NHL titles is folly.

Brodeur has done his part since first taking over the crease, and he has still managed to put together some 40-win campaigns in the last several seasons, even without a stellar squad in front of him anymore.

To start with, Brodeur has always had a great glove hand, having played baseball growing up in Montreal. His hybrid goaltending style, combining both stand-up and butterfly techniques, has served him well over the years, including during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City when he backstopped Canada to its first gold hockey medal in decades. 

As for his puckhandling ability, well, he's the prime reason that NHL nets now sport trapezoids behind them. 

He has made some memorable stops in his tenure. The two that stand out for me came against Detroit's Kris Draper at the side of the net in the 1995 Stanley Cup Finals, and then eight years later in the title round against Anaheim's Sandis Ozolinsh on a breakaway.

More often than not, No. 30 has made that first save when New Jersey has needed him to.

Brodeur does play a lot of games every year, has endured a lot of wear-and-tear, and can't steal games single-handedly anymore. But, a number of teams would still like to have him manning their net, even if he's past his prime. The Devils have been lucky to have him as long as they have.

His career, marred by injuries in recent years, is coming to a close. At 39, Brodeur is not as young as he once was.

He'll leave with a host of individual records in tow—over 600 career wins, more than 100 shutouts, and at least four Vezina Trophies and three Stanley Cup rings to his credit. His No. 30 will also take its place in the rafters one day at the Prudential Center, before his jersey and the rest of his legacy reaches its final stop in a glass display in Toronto.

Did Martin Brodeur have some help over the years playing with the Devils?

Yes, he did.

Was he still good on his own merit?

Yes, he was.