After all the noise, Martin Brodeur went nowhere.
The Devils’ future Hall of Fame goaltender was not traded before Wednesday’s 3 p.m. deadline, and therefore will finish out the season with the only NHL team for which he has played. Following Brodeur’s backstopping the team to a 4-3 win over the Red Wings on Tuesday at the Prudential Center, the 41-year-old was honest about his desire to play more and possibly even return next season.
Brodeur has a no-trade clause in his contract — which runs out after this season — but he made a small list of teams for which he would waive it, and kept that list between himself and general manager Lou Lamoriello.
With his hands partially tied, Lamoriello couldn’t find a suitable taker, and decided to keep the man he drafted with the 20th-overall pick in the 1990 draft as part of a goalie tandem with 27-year-old Cory Schneider.
“Everything is emotional,” Lamoriello told The Record. “If you’re saying that because Marty Brodeur was a focus of what would happen or what would not happen, everything that transpires between a player and myself is up front and straightforward and that’s all I want.”
Lamoriello did get one deal done, sending 23-year-old center Andrei Loktionov and a conditional third-round pick in 2017 to the Hurricanes in exchange for rugged forward Tuomo Ruutu. As part of the deal, Carolina will retain some of the 31-year-old’s $5 million contract ($4.75 million salary-cap hit) over the next two seasons.
“Our intention certainly was to get a top-nine forward with a lot of grit and competes and has a habit of playing in big games,” Lamoriello said. “We’ve played enough against him over the years and we feel good about him.”
It’s anticipated Ruutu will make it to New Jersey for Thursday’s practice and be ready for the flight to Detroit for Friday’s game against the Red Wings.