5 Best New Jersey Devils Rookie Seasons Of All Time

1. Martin Brodeur 1993-94

There are going to be a lot of lists in Devils lore that are led by this man. Martin Brodeur’s stupendous career started with an amazing rookie season.

Brodeur played just four games in 1992-93, but the next season he officially split starts with Chris Terreri. He actually ended up playing more games than the veteran, and he took over the net in the playoffs. His line was great. He won 27 of 47 starts, with a .915 save percentage and a 2.40 goals-against average. His save percentage was fourth-best in the entire league. His goals-against average was second among starters.

Brodeur ended up beating out future teammate Jason Arnott for the Calder Memorial Trophy. He got 21 1st-place votes to Arnott’s 15.

In the playoffs, Brodeur was dominant. In the first round, Brodeur put the Devils on his back against the Buffalo Sabres. With a 3-2 lead in the series, he kept the Sabres shut out for all three regulation periods and three overtime periods. After 125 shutout minutes, the Sabres won the game in the fourth overtime. It was an epic showdown with Dominik Hasek. The Devils ended up winning Game 7, as Brodeur took out the best goalie in the world in his rookie season. It was the Devils’ first playoff series win since the 1988 playoffs.

After going down 2-0 to the Bruins, Brodeur helped the Devils come back and win the next four games, setting up a showdown with the New York Rangers. We all know what happened there, but the fact that Brodeur was able to go head on against that powerhouse is impressive. Brodeur’s rookie season was legendary, and it was the groundwork for what was to come.