The Devils and franchise goaltender Martin Brodeur will part ways for the 2014-15 season, but New Jersey general manager Lou Lamoriello isn't surprised it's taken a long time for the netminder to find a new home.
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The Devils seemingly closed the door on their two-decade old relationship with Brodeur when they gave Cory Schneider a seven-year extension earlier this month and signed Scott Clemmensen to a one-year deal incase rookie Keith Kinkaid isn't ready to spell Schneider as his backup.
Brodeur, 42, still wants to be a No. 1 goalie, which would be impossible with the Devils, and the goaltender said he is looking for the "right fit" out of free agency. Lamoriello isn't surprised the process has taken this long.
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"When you've been in the game for as long as I have, you're not surprised at anything," Lamoriello told NHL.com.
After seeing his playing time diminish last season in favor of Schneider, whom the team acquired at the 2013 NHL Draft, Brodeur has decided to test free agency as he hopes to get the workload of a No. 1 goaltender.
"Marty and I have come to an agreement that is best for both himself and the organization, and there's nothing negative about that," Lamoriello said. "Marty knows what it is to be a No. 1 goalie and to have that feeling, and that's what he wants. Cory feels the same way."
Lamoriello said after three Stanley Cup championships and four Vezina Trophies in the Devils crease, it was time for the future Hall of Fame goalie to move on.
"I think it's time to move forward, but never negate what Marty has brought [to the Devils], nor was the door ever shut," Lamoriello said. "It was a mutual understanding of what was best for both parties. Marty will always be a Devil and the communication with him is still there, even recently."
The process of moving on has been a patient approach for Brodeur.
"I'm still looking for the right fit, and the right fit might not come this summer, it might come later on in the fall," Brodeur told Yahoo Sports last month. "I'm pretty open-minded. Regardless of what happens, if I play or don't play, I'm ready for anything. I'm looking forward to a new challenge, regardless if it's outside of hockey or still in hockey with a different organization."
Brodeur backstopped the Devils to the Stanley Cup Final in 2012, but the team has failed to make the playoffs in the following two seasons as a wave of change has gone through the franchise. Brodeur went 19-14-6 with a .901 save percentage and a 2.51 goals-against average last season.
Brodeur is the NHL's all-time leader in regular season wins (688), regular season shutouts (124) and playoff shutouts (24) and holds various NHL records and Devils franchise marks.
In his career, Brodeur is 688-394-154 with a 2.24 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage -- all with the Devils, but now the two sides will move on.
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