Brodeur Will Break Records, But Not Become Greatest Goalie Ever

Here's a nice article from Bill Clement at NBC.com. Even though Brodeur likely will set an incredibly high all time wins record and likely better the once-untouchable all time shutouts record, Brodeur will likely be remembered as a great goalie who was number three in the era of Dominik Hasek and Patrick Roy.

Heading into this season Brodeur had 446 regular-season wins, 105 less than Roy who holds the all-time record. You've got to figure on him eclipsing Roy's total of 551 regular-season wins in 19 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens and the Colorado Avalanche.

In his 12 full NHL seasons, Brodeur has averaged 37 wins. He's had five seasons of 40 or more wins, including last season when he posted a league-leading 43 victories.

Let's say for the remainder of his playing days Brodeur averages 32 wins -- five less wins a season than his career average. At that pace, he would break Roy's record sometime near the midway point of the 2009-10 season.

Of course, if he averages more than 32 wins a season, he could surpass Roy sometime late in the 2008-09 season. And there's a good chance of that since only three times in his career has Brodeur won fewer 37 games, and those were in his first three full NHL seasons.

Martin Brodeur is easily one of the five greatest NHL goalies ever, but it would be hard to label the Devils netminder as the greatest ever to play the position even presuming he overtakes Hall of Famer Patrick Roy as the all-time winningest goalie.

One of the reasons Brodeur's stature is not that of the greatest ever between the pipes is because he has played in an era when Dominik Hasek was winning Hart and Vezina Trophies at an incredible clip.

Hasek has won the Hart Trophy awarded to the league's MVP twice, and he's won the Vezina Trophy as the league's outstanding goaltender six times. Brodeur has never won the Hart Trophy, and he's won the Vezina Trophy twice. Roy won three Vezina Trophies.

When he is done playing, Brodeur will be remembered as a happy-go-lucky guy who was immune to pressure. He'll also be remembered as someone who was always approachable, and whose love for playing hockey was always apparent to anyone watching him on the ice or talking with him off of it.

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Of course, Brodeur does likely 5 more seasons to go after the current one. If he can deliver another Stanley Cup, a 2010 gold medal or a couple more Vezina trophies, he can step further out of the shadow of Hasek and Roy.