Brodeur laments modern workloads: 'We baby our goalies'

Martin Brodeur understands why goaltending workloads have changed in recent years, but the Hall of Famer still thinks the players at his old position are overprotected nowadays.

"I think we baby our goalies," the New Jersey Devils executive vice president of hockey operations told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun on Tuesday. "I see it. I'm part of it. It's like, my goalie coach will say, 'He's played five games the past eight days …' I'm like, 'So?'"

Brodeur played at least 70 games in 12 of his 22 seasons, including a stretch from 1995-96 through 2007-08 in which he averaged 73 contests. But lately, the majority of NHL teams have resorted to goaltending tandems. Some clubs, like the Boston Bruins, employ a virtually even split, while others use a "1A/1B" approach with the backup starting more often than he would've in the past in order to help preserve the No. 1 netminder for the long run.

Goaltenders' job security has also become more fraught, while some puck-stoppers that are now mainstays initially emerged from relative obscurity.

"The sport has changed, but the position has changed a lot, just because of the workload that these guys are having," Brodeur said. "It's so volatile, that position. One year, you can be the top goalie. The second year, it's like you don't even belong in the league. It's weird how really volatile the position has become."

The four-time Vezina Trophy winner believes the split workloads contribute to how unpredictable the position can be in the modern game.

"It's the system of 1A and 1B that's going to create that," Brodeur said. "Because it's always going to be, 'We can't play back-to-back (games).' You're so scared the No. 1 gets hurt. And so you baby that guy for the longest time. So, these guys are playing 55 games. They should be playing 65-to-70 games like we did."

Brodeur acknowledged the average goalie now is better than when he played but said it's harder to trust younger netminders, so experience often wins out.

The legendary former crease-patroller helped the Devils win three Stanley Cup championships and led Canada to two Olympic gold medals. New Jersey won the William Jennings Trophy (a team goaltending award) five times during Brodeur's career, and he was a three-time Hart Trophy finalist.

Brodeur was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018. He joined the Devils' front office in August 2018 as executive vice president of business development. Brodeur became an advisor to the team's hockey operations department when Ray Shero was fired in January 2020. New Jersey promoted him to his current role in November 2022.