Two days before the beginning of NHL free agency, the goaltender market got a whole lot more intriguing when analyst Darren Dreger of TSN reported via his Twitter Account (@DarrenDreger) that New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur had hired Pat Brisson as his agent and would test the free agent market if a new contract for him to stay in New Jersey wasn't in place by Sunday, when NHL teams can start signing free agents.
It was a dual surprise from the 40-year-old netminder, who has not used the services of an agent in years, and whose options following the end of the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals were considered to be a return to the Devils or retirement. However, according to a tweet from beat writer Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger (@Ledger_NJDevils), the Devils' uncertain financial situation has prevented general manager Lou Lamoriello from committing to re-sign Brodeur, opening up the possibility of the four-time Vezina Trophy winner leaving for another destination.
Just where that destination could be, however, is not easy to project.
At 40 years of age, Brodeur isn't looking for a long-term situation. If he leaves New Jersey for another team, that team will need to be equipped to compete in 2012-13. Looking over the teams that made the Stanley Cup Playoffs this past season, there aren't too many openings for a goalie who's not a long-term option. However, there are a couple of intriguing situations that could attract Brodeur should he decide to leave the Garden State.
The Chicago Blackhawks got less-than-stellar goaltending in 2011-12 from the duo of Corey Crawford and Ray Emery, and could be in the market to upgrade through Brodeur. Chicago, which shed salary following its 2010 Stanley Cup win, is in a better place now, with $8 million in cap space and 23 players under contract for next season, and with players like Pat Kane, Jonathan Toews, Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith leading the way, the Blackhawks are certainly possible contenders for 2012-13, particularly with the addition of a future Hall of Famer like Brodeur in net.
Likewise, the Washington Capitals are an intriguing destination. The Caps may have found their goaltender of the future in Braden Holtby, who was stellar during Washington's playoff run, but he's still an unproven quantity, and he certainly could benefit from an opportunity to be mentored by Brodeur for a year or two. Washington has plenty of cap room, one of the game's best players up front in Alexander Ovechkin, and a new head coach in Adam Oates who has spent the last two years with Brodeur in New Jersey.
There are some intriguing possibilities among non-playoff teams, including a Tampa Bay Lightning club that was a win away from the Stanley Cup finals a year ago, a Toronto Maple Leafs team that is desperate for solid goaltending, and the Montreal Canadiens franchise that Brodeur used to follow to every practice and game with his father, Denis, who took photographs for the team. And of course, the fact that Brodeur will entertain other offers doesn't mean he won't consider a return to New Jersey as well.
Right now, though, the only thing that's certain is that there's one more name to watch when free agency begins on Sunday.