The Goaltenders: Brodeur and Hedberg

Sorry for the absence in posting over the last few days.  I was away from Thursday to Sunday, and did not have a chance to get to the blog.

Ever since the 1993-1994 season, Martin Brodeur has been the number one man in New Jersey between the pipes. Through all his years, Brodeur, among numerous accolades, is the NHL’s all-time wins and shutouts leader, and has led the Devils to three Stanley Cup championships.  Starting in the post-lockout era or so, however, many have began to wonder how many games Marty should play every season; while he has impressed many with his durability in this time, this question obviously gains even more emphasis in what could be his last year.  Obviously, speculation that 2011-2012 might be the end for Brodeur will be about all season; for now, however, lets think about the upcoming season, and worry about retirement news after it’s over.

Last season, Marty played in 56 games, a year that was limited due to age and injury alike.  His overall record was 23-26-3; however, it must be noted that the Devils were last in the NHL (by a good margin, in fact) in goals per game; the fact that the team finished with a respectable record is very much thanks to the netminders.  Brodeur also posted a .903 save percentage to go along with a 2.45 goals-against average, as well as six shutouts to add to his all-time lead.

Because of the injuries last year, it would be difficult to determine how many games Marty should start this season based on any result from last year.  However, Brodeur did play in an impressive 77 games two seasons ago; while he is now 39, his endurance has been terrific, and if the Devils need him for any stretch next year, they should be able to count on an able goaltender between the pipes.  At the same time, we all know Marty will need a decent amount of rest next year; I would hope that he will be available to play anywhere between 63-68 games.

Now, Marty might be able to play more than this; however, with the return of Johan Hedberg, the Devils are able to ensure the rest Brodeur needs (and possibly even more) while giving themselves an excellent chance to win games he doesn’t start.  While “Moose” got off to a slow start last year, like most of the team  he drastically improved in the 2nd half.  In 34 games, Hedberg went 15-12-2 with .912 save percentage and a 2.38 goals-against average (good for 11th in the league).  You could say, in fact, that his second half play was reminiscent of the effort the Devils received from Scott Clemmensen two seasons ago; although, however, the latter resulted in a number two seed.

We know that, no matter his role, Moose is excited to be a Devil; Hedberg took less money to stay in New Jersey, even as he could have had a larger role with a handful of other teams.  We know that he is a capable goaltender; if both he and Marty are able to stay healthy this year, it will give the Devils two reliable options to play in between the pipes.  While Brodeur is clearly the starter, Hedberg provides a terrific backup option that is better than most of the league can rely on, and the fact that Moose is not only accepting, but excited to play that role in New Jersey is great to know as a fan.

Obviously, the number of games each will start cannot possibly be known at this point.  If I had to predict this right now, I would give Marty 60 starts, with 22 for Hedberg, and would hope that the majority of Moose’s starts come during back-to-back series.  However, we have no idea as to whether both will stay healthy throughout an 82-game season, and the number of games we expect both to play should understandably differ.  Be sure to post your opinions on this matter in the comments (as well as any predictions you would like to make), as well as on Twitter (you can find me @ZachandKovy917).

-Drew