NHL Rumors: New Jersey Devils Must Hold on to Martin Brodeur

Martin Brodeur is a living legend. The New Jersey Devils would do a disservice to the future Hall of Famer, the team’s fans and the team’s chances to return to the Stanley Cup Finals by letting him sign with another team.

TSN’s Darren Dreger reported via Twitter that Brodeur will almost certainly be a free agent this offseason:

"

Martin Brodeur very likely to test free agent market. Brodeur has hired Pat Brisson (CAA) to represent him. Bidders get ready!

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) June 29, 2012"

Brisson represents some of the NHL’s biggest names, including Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and the Sedin brothers. CAA stands for Creative Artists Agency, which represents both entertainment and sports figures. 

The list of athlete’s represented by CAA agents is a who’s who of the most famous sports stars in the world. It includes LeBron James, Peyton Manning, Ryan Braun and Cristiano Ronaldo.

With that kind of negotiating muscle on his side, Brodeur will not come cheap. But after the career he has had, the goaltender has earned one last respectable contract.

Brodeur’s résumé is simply ridiculous. He has spent all 21 seasons of his career with New Jersey, made the playoffs in 19 of those years, won the Stanley Cup three times, made the All-Star Game 10 times and won two gold medals with Team Canada. He is also the NHL’s all-time leader for goalies in wins, shutouts and games played. 

The 40-year-old has played in significantly fewer games in the past two seasons than he has in the past. In 2009-10, he led the league in wins and played in 77 games. 

The next year, he took the ice just 56 times and played in 59 games this past season. 

But the regular season is not where Brodeur is most valuable. His unparalleled experience is priceless in the playoffs. 

The Devils are perennial contenders.  Besides 2010-11, the team has made the playoffs every season since 1996.

He proved his worth in the 2012 playoffs by recording a .917 save percentage and a 2.17 goals against average during, leading the Devils back to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since the 2002-03 season.

No NHL team can make a deep playoff run without a reliable goaltender, and no goalie in the history of hockey has been as consistent as Brodeur. He is an all-time great who can be counted on to perform in big situations. He is an icon and legend for the New Jersey Devils’ franchise, and the team must re-sign him at any cost.