The Newest Blue Note

The image above is likely going to make people do a double take.  Yes, that is Martin Brodeur, and yes, he is wearing a St. Louis Blues hat, and as of today, he is a member of the Blues for this season.  Brodeur did say during the off-season that he wanted to keep playing, and an injury to Brian Elliott opened the door for Brodeur to join.  The contract is strictly for this year and has a prorated base pay of $700,000 with bonuses if he reaches certain goals.

What does Brodeur really bring?  Given the injury to Elliott, who is listed as week-to-week (hence the Blues looking into Brodeur in the first place), he can step in and at least be a backup to Jake Allen.  For Allen, it also means that he can learn from Brodeur what it takes to have sustained success, since this is only his second full season in the NHL.  As for Brodeur, he says he can still be a contributor, and with a talented team in front of him, he has that chance to prove the Blues right when he does play.  The signing also allows the Blues to not rush Jordan Binnington to the NHL, something that they would have done had the Elliott injury not been a possible long-term deal.  This is a gamble, but not a costly one, as the Blues didn't overpay for a short-term solution that may very well provide long-term results.