After signing with the New Jersey Devils, Martin Brodeur took the time to appear on Sportsnet 590 The Fan and the subject of the Maple Leafs came up.
“I was able to talk to (Leafs GM) Brian Burke and also Dave Nonis,” Brodeur said. “We had great conversations. Love the direction where they’re going.
“For me it could’ve been a fit but ultimately when Lou (Lamiorello) came back with that extra year, that made a big difference. They seemed like they were really interested. But I know that the organization is making the right steps for them.”
Of course, it’s not a surprise that Leafs pursued Brodeur. They certainly weren’t the only team that would have been a good fit for Brodeur’s services, but they could have used him to serve as James Reimer’s mentor and take some pressure off the young goaltender.
As we mentioned earlier, the Leafs goaltending is a question mark as it currently stands. The potential tandem of James Reimer and Ben Scrivens might not be ready to carry the Leafs, but at this point, they’re starting to run out of alternatives.
Al Montoya, Brent Johnson, and Ty Conklin are still free agents and while they might be solid backups, they’re also significant risks in their own right. At one point it looked like the Leafs might resort to trading for Roberto Luongo, but he reportedly doesn’t want to play for Toronto.
With that in mind, there’s a good chance that Reimer will be the Leafs’ opening game starter.
