from Jonathan Willis of Sportsnet,

Last week, the St. Louis Blues signed future Hockey Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur to a bonus-laden one-year contract—he earned $20,000 for his win Saturday. The interesting point wasn’t so much that Brodeur had found a major-league job, but rather in the Blues’ handling of the signing.

The team treated the addition of Brodeur not as the quiet add of a veteran backup, but rather as the coronation of a new starter. Head coach Ken Hitchcock told the Blues’ official website that Brodeur would play if he was on the roster, that “he’s not going to back up.” That same website was reworked so that anyone going to stlouisblues.com first landed on a full-page “Welcome Marty” graphic.

It’s an interesting tack for the team to take. While Brodeur’s career obviously commands tremendous respect, it isn’t at all clear that his current level of ability deserves an NHL contract, let alone the level of fanfare the Blues lavished on him. There really isn’t much history of goalies contributing meaningful games as they get into their 40s; even Hall of Famers aren’t immune to the ravages of time.

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