St. Louis Blues’ Martin Brodeur will Extend Leave of Absence
The St. Louis Blues announced six days ago goaltender Martin Brodeur would take a one-week leave of absence in an attempt to determine his future, with the 42-year-old legend apparently conflicted between retiring or sticking around as the Blues’ third-string goaltender. As ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun reported on Tuesday afternoon, though, that leave of absence will now stretch to about three weeks:
Martin Brodeur will take another week or so, post all-star break, to decide his future, agent Pat Brisson says. The Blues are cool with that
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) January 20, 2015
With Brian Elliott back and playing very well and Jake Allen seemingly back on track after struggling during the month of December, Brodeur’s sole purpose on the team is to contribute during practice and be a positive locker room presence. While that may sound like an insignificant role, coach Ken Hitchcock has stated on multiple occasions that Brodeur has made a tremendous impact on the team as a leader, and he appreciated Brodeur’s presence so much that the organization would be willing to have Brodeur back in a front-office role even if he decided that he no longer wanted to play.
Even if Brodeur were a more essential part of the Blues’ roster, it wouldn’t matter too much if he had taken a few days after the All-Star break to make his decision. The Blues enter a nine-day off period between January 20 and January 29, with their next game coming five days after the NHL’s All Star Game on Saturday in Columbus.
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The only negative about Brodeur’s hesitation in making a decision is that the Blues continue to sacrifice a roster space and spend money towards the cap when he isn’t even with the team. While Brodeur is only making a pro-rated $700,000 salary, that money is taking away from salary cap space that could potentially be used otherwise for a deadline deal or to accommodate extra players who are called up from the minors when rosters expand after the trade deadline.
Brodeur may have made his decision by February 1, but if he’s still on the roster at that time, the Blues owe him a $125,000 bonus. Obviously, though, they’re prepared to spend the money on him as a third goalie if he’s still interested in being part of the team.