Even considering his advanced age, it sounds like there are plenty of suitors for future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur.
Rumors swirled about the iconic goalie and the Toronto Maple Leafs, and apparently with good reason. Brendan Shanahan acknowledged interest in the 42-year-old, as the Bergen Record reports.
“We’ve expressed an interest,” Shanahan said. “But I think when you get to a point in Marty’s career it’s really about fit. I was never the best goalie in the history of the game, but I’ve been a veteran player sort of making these decisions. You do things differently when you’re at Marty’s point in his career.”
“It’s always going to be about fit.”
It sounds like quite a few Stanley Cup contenders think they can find the right fit for the NHL record holder in wins. The Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins have been mentioned as potential interested parties:
Among the interested teams in Brodeur: Chicago, Boston, Pittsburgh & Toronto. Brodeur wants to go to a contender.
— Louis Jean (@LouisJeanSports) June 28, 2014
There’s a big question about how well the famous goalie would handle being a backup, which would be his gig in just about every contending situation (and most situations, at this stage of his career). He filled Sportsnet in on what kind of role he’s willing to accept earlier last week.
“If I get a job as a No. 1, I think I’m able to handle the workload of 50 to 60 games,” Brodeur said. “If I don’t, and I get a backup job on a team I feel has a chance to win the Stanley Cup, anything between 20 to 30 games I’d be comfortable with in the right situation.”
There are a lot of possibilities buzzing around, yet one very important factor would be money. Brodeur didn’t give any indication about his desired salary, which certainly matters to teams in tight financial situations as championship contenders often are.
Whatever the case may be, it doesn’t sound like Brodeur will lack options when the free agent period begins. Like many other veterans, it’s plausible that he might not make a decision on July 1 (or maybe even in the month of July).
Then again, you never know what will happen once the frenzy begins.