The Blues tweeted a message to their fans Tuesday morning, and the message is clear. Martin Brodeur, the league's all-time winningest goaltender, is now a Blue.
#OurBlues https://t.co/ddIoc2cH0K
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) December 2, 2014
The team followed that tweet with another a few minutes later officially announcing the signing.
Brodeur has been practicing with the team since Friday and signed a one-year contract worth $700,000 shortly after his third session, according to NHL.com's Lou Korac. Coach Ken Hitchcock said Monday that Brodeur would play if signed, and his contract stipulates he'll receive $10,000 for each point earned, according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Jeremy Rutherford.
Brodeur, 42, set NHL records by posting 688 wins and 124 shutouts in 21 years with the New Jersey Devils, who chose not to sign him over the summer after he went 19-14-6 last season as a co-starter with Cory Schneider. St. Louis invited him to practice shortly after placing Brian Elliott on injured reserve with a lower-body injury he suffered in a 3-2 loss to Ottawa on Nov. 25.
Elliott had an 8-4-1 record and a league-best 1.82 goals-against average.
Rookie Jake Allen figures to continue to get most of the starts, especially if he can maintain his 2.16 GAA and .918 save percentage, which have netted him an impressive 8-2-1 record so far this season. Brodeur most likely will be a spot starter while Elliott, who is week to week, remains out.
You can follow Luke Thompson on Twitter at @FS_LukeT or email him at lukegthompson87@gmail.com.
