Martin Brodeur Signing with St. Louis Blues Is More About History Than Results

From a historical standpoint, seeing Martin Brodeur back between the pipes is great for the game of hockey.

Brodeur will once again don his No. 30 jersey tonight against the Nashville Predators. The name on the back of the jersey will be the same, but the logo on the front will be different.

Hit with a week-to-week lower body injury to starter Brian Elliott, the St. Louis Blues plucked the legendary goalie from free agency and put him in his familiar spot in net, as reported by ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun Wednesday afternoon. After 21 seasons with the New Jersey Devils, Brodeur is suiting up for another squad.

It's a move that has been met with some controversy, with skeptics like Nicholas Goss of NESN claiming that the signing of Brodeur "isn't a smart solution."

It'd be really easy to question this decision from Blues management. At 42 years old, Brodeur is more than long in the tooth, and many believe his recent work is not up to par for an NHL goaltender.

The numbers back that up. In 39 games last season, Brodeur had a below-average save percentage of .901, and his 2.51 goals against was the second-highest of his career.

However, the signing wasn't about Brodeur carrying the team on his back or even being the goaltender that won four Vezina trophies and three Stanley Cups during his 21-year tenure with the New Jersey Devils. It's about seeing one of the best of all time for perhaps the last time.

"I just want to have fun," Brodeur said, per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Jeremy Rutherford. "I've got nothing to prove to myself. I just want to go out and enjoy the season and enjoy the winning way like I was able to do in New Jersey for a lot of years."

A chance to add to an already illustrious legacy will be a reality every night. Brodeur is the league's all-time leader in victories. He'll go for No. 689 tonight against the Predators. That makes the netminder just 12 wins away from 700 for his career.

This means every night he's in net, Brodeur has the chance to edge even closer to a win plateau unseen in NHL history.

What some neglect to see is this is a low-risk play for St. Louis. Brodeur's contract pays him as such. He'll receive a base salary of $700,000, according to LeBrun, but it's laced with performance and roster bonuses. For example, LeBrun writes that Brodeur will earn "$10,000 for every point in the standings he earns while the goalie of record." The Blues are getting what they pay for. 

It's also one with a high reward. Sure, Brodeur will likely back up 24-year-old Jake Allen until Elliot returns, and then maybe he's released. Here's the thing many haven't considered, though—what if Brodeur actually thrives?

Elliot isn't exactly Henrik Lundqvist, and Allen isn't a proven commodity just yet. Maybe, just maybe, the three-time Stanley Cup champion can flash what made him so special for so long.

The Blues have been strong Stanley Cup contenders the past three seasons but have mostly disappointed, making it no farther than the Western Conference Semifinals in those seasons. Wouldn't it be a story if Brodeur was the one to get the team over the hump?

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

There's certainly a precedent for this in Brodeur's history. At 39, he helped the Devils to the Stanley Cup Final three seasons ago, losing to the Los Angeles Kings in six games.

For as much flack as Brodeur gets over his .901 save percentage in his final two years with the team, his .909  regular-season save percentage during that Stanley Cup run wasn't much better. But he turned it on in the playoffs with a .919 save percentage, proving he still had what it takes to win on the big stage.

Whether it's only for a few games, a few weeks or deep into the postseason, fans should cherish the time and the history of one of the all-time greats. While there isn't a red devil crest on the front of his jersey anymore, there still might be a little magic left.