Let's be honest, it just wouldn't be right to see Martin Brodeur in any other uniform than the one he'll be putting on when the 2012-13 NHL season begins.
The New Jersey Devils re-signed the four-time Vezina Trophy winner and the enduring face of their franchise on Monday to a two-year deal worth $9 million. The contract, reported early Monday morning, will take Brodeur to his 42nd birthday, and will give him an excellent chance to reach the 700-win plateau before the end of the contract.
Brodeur, who turned 40 in May, is the NHL's career leader in wins with 656, saves with 27,312, and shutouts with 119, along with losses, games played, minutes played, and shots against.
Brodeur made news Friday when he hired agent Pat Brisson to field offers from other teams, and those offers did indeed come when NHL free agency began on Sunday. However, while teams including the Blackhawks and Maple Leafs came to call - and Chicago in particular could have been an intriguing destination - Brodeur staying in New Jersey just feels right.
Brodeur was a first-round pick of the Devils (No. 20 overall) in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, and in an era where the July 1 start of free agency sets off a frenzy, there's something delightfully old-school about the idea that Brodeur is going to spend his entire career as a Devil.
The interesting question now is what Brodeur's signing will mean for New Jersey's efforts to retain Zach Parise. The Devils' captain is expected to decide on his destination on Monday, and while suitors like the Penguins, Red Wings and Wild are real possibilities for the 27-year-old winger, New Jersey has remained very much in the picture throughout the process.
Brodeur re-signing raises a pair of important questions. First, will the $4.5 million per year (down from $5.2 million in his last contract) have an impact on what the Devils can offer Parise? Second, how much of a role will finances play in Parise's eventual destination? It can certainly be argued that Pittsburgh or Detroit would offer Parise a better opportunity to win a Stanley Cup, while the Wild would bring Parise home to Minnesota.
If Parise does indeed leave the Garden State for greener pastures, that's life in the modern NHL. For the time being, it's good to see Martin Brodeur "keeping it old school."