Montreal Canadiens Are Better Off Without Martin Brodeur

Nobody seems to want to face the reality that Martin Brodeur’s career as a dependable NHL goaltender is over. That’s why it’s no surprise that the Montreal Canadiens reportedly contacted the veteran earlier this summer about joining the Habs.

Former Hab and current RDS analyst Vincent Damphousse reported Tuesday that Montreal GM Marc Bergevin met with Brodeur’s agent in July to discuss a possible fit for the free agent netminder.  So far anyway, that hasn’t happened and if the Canadiens know what’s good for them, it won’t.

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There’s no denying Brodeur has enjoyed one of the best goaltending careers in history. He has won three Stanley Cups, two Olympic gold medals, four Vezina Trophies and has 124 regular season shutouts. Brodeur may end up being considered the best goaltender ever – which is exactly why he should hang up his skates now.

While he still thinks he’s an elite goaltender, he isn’t. When the New Jersey Devils traded for Cory Schneider during the 2013 offseason, the writing was on the wall. They knew then that Brodeur’s playing days were numbered.

Actually, they’d been numbered for a while before that. Brodeur’s save percentage in three of the last four seasons has been at .903 or worse. His .901 save percentage last year ranked 45^th in the NHL and he gave up at least three goals in 20 of his 39 appearances. This isn’t anything new either. Of all the goaltenders with at least 100 starts under their belt, Brodeur ranks 33^rd in all-time save percentage. This isn’t to say he hasn’t had his moments and he’s certainly been very good in pressure situations, but the fact remains that he’s led the NHL in save percentage just once in his 21 NHL seasons.

And the worst of it all is he still thinks he’s a top-level NHL goaltender, letting it be known he wasn’t happy backing up Schneider last year. You know who is an elite NHL goalie? Carey Price, the guy who just won a gold medal for Canada and took a mediocre Canadiens team the Eastern Conference finals.

Brodeur would be an absolute sideshow in Montreal, his hometown, and the last thing this team needs is more media attention. The Habs are in a good place right now with a young, talented squad boasting a goaltender who could easily be the best in the NHL someday.

Brining in a blast from the past will do nothing but create unwanted media attention off the ice while Brodeur would continue to regress on the ice. That’s a situation that could get very ugly in Montreal.

Your time has come, Marty. Hang them up.

The Montreal Canadiens are currently set at +1600 to win the Stanley Cup.