from Scott Burnside of ESPN,

"I asked him if he wanted a trade," Shero told ESPN.com this week.

These are the moments that define a person, a career even. In some ways, they define a franchise too.

Martin, signed to a five-year, $25-million deal in the summer of 2010, could not have been blamed if he said, "Yes, get me the heck out of here."

Fans were certainly clamoring for just such a move throughout the season as the mistakes piled up and Martin's play worsened.

"He was embarrassed by his year," Shero said.

But Martin looked at his boss and insisted he wanted to stay. He told Shero he didn't want to take the easy way out. Moreover, Martin pledged to return this season a different player, the old player, the player that had made him one of the top free-agent defensemen on the market in 2010.

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