When asked by The Montreal Journal on Tuesday that Martin Brodeur said he is waiting for the right situation in order to play this year. He told the paper that teams have reached out to him but none are interesting enough to join. "I want to be part of a team that has a real chance to win the Stanley Cup,"he said. The Ducks seem to fit his criteria. Let's look at why this is a good match for both parties.
My blog earlier this week dealt with whether Frederik Andersen or John Gibson should be the number one goaltender for the Ducks. Most of the comments I received agreed with my conclusion that Gibson is the franchise goalie of the future, but Andersen is the man right now. Additionally, nobody is happy with Jason LaBarbera as the backup. I'm not thrilled with that idea either, so why not get Martin Brodeur to backup Andersen. Marty knows he's no longer able to carry the load as a team's main goalie. He is however able to make 20-25 quality starts as a number two goalie.
The Devils had a bad season 2013-14, end the year with the 20th best record in the league. Brodeur's performance was reflective of the team's finish. His record was 19-14-6, with a 2.51 Goals Against Average (GAA) and .901 Save Percentage (SV%). For a guy who is arguably the best goalie in league history, those a very pedestrian numbers. As mediocre as his performance was, it was still superior to what LaBarbera had with the Oilers last year. He went 1-3-0 with a 3.28 GAA and .870 SV%. The fact that LaBarbera couldn't even crack the Oilers, despite their iffy goalie situation speaks volumes about his ability. With all the options that were available at the time of his signing, giving LaBarbera a contract, even a two-way deal, was a head-scratcher.
From the Ducks perspective there are many reasons that “Wallpaper… should be on the team. First and foremost, Brodeur is a better player than LaBarbera. Next, who better than the man that the NHL's all-time wins and shutouts leader do they want to teach their talented youngsters how to achieve long-term success in the NHL. In the near term, the Ducks are a Stanley Cup contender, Brodeur has been part of five teams that reached the finals, winning it all three times. Brodeur's first cup win came when he was 22 years old. It is a rare feat to be the main goalie on a Stanley Cup winner at such a young age. The Ducks will need something similar if they are to win it all this year. Let Marty teach Andersen and Gibson how its done.
The Ducks only have three players remaining from their 2007 Stanley Cup winning team, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Francois Beauchemin; they are a bit short on players with cup winning experience. In other words, his veteran presence is something the team needs. The final reason that the Ducks should bring in Brodeur is that he is a safe bet. He doesn't need a big contract and if it doesn't work out they have other options.
Looking at the situation from Brodeur's point of view, the Ducks are an obvious choice. He wants to play for a contender, most every other contending team has their goalie situation settled. If he wants a legit shot at one more cup, Anaheim is his best shot. He said he is also looking for something interesting. Gibson may be the best goaltending prospect in the league, how much more interesting does it get than to work with “The Next Big Thing.… Lastly, at his stage in life, spending a year in SoCal is a heck of a lot better than most places in the league.
The Ducks brought in Dany Heatley on a very low risk, high reward deal. Martin Brodeur would be an even better signing due to his experience and championship pedigree. The Ducks need a steady number two goalie to win a cup now. If Brodeur can also be a mentor to Andersen and Gibson and teach them how to win, whatever they spend on him would be well worth it.