It's a storyline we have been following for more than three months, and finally it comes to a head Thursday night. Martin Brodeur will suit up for the New Jersey Devils for the first time since tearing the biceps tendon in his left arm during a game against Atlanta on Nov. 1.
"I feel good," Brodeur said in an interview with the Associated Press. "I feel I haven't lost much out there practicing and moving around and then feeling the puck and controlling my rebounds and all that. It's a question of seeing game action, and I am sure that will take a bit."
That's obviously good news for owners who have been waiting patiently for the Vezina winner to return and begin performing at his full ability. Brodeur is already owned in 96 percent of ESPN.com leagues, so there is little hope that you can scoop him up at this point. From here on out, we can expect Brodeur to play a significant amount for a surprising Devils team that sits in third place in the Eastern Conference. While I won't assume his workload will be as heavy as in the past -- he missed only five games all of last season -- he will resume his role as a No. 1 goalie for fantasy purposes.
Likely the most shocking development in the story is the news that Scott Clemmensen has been sent back to Lowell of the AHL to make room for Brodeur on the NHL roster. Clemmensen has single-handedly carried the Devils for the past three-plus months, sporting a 25-13-1 record to go along with a 2.39 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage.
"I am sure he is disappointed, but he got a great chance to prove what he was able to do, not only to the Devils but the entire league, and I think he made his point," Brodeur said of Clemmensen. While it may be surprising to some that the man who played so well was sent to back the AHL, there are reasons for the move. The 31-year-old, who is owned in 69.9 percent of ESPN.com leagues, was originally called up on an emergency basis, meaning he doesn't have to clear waivers to go back down to the farm. Kevin Weekes, the third man in this scenario, on the other hand would have to clear waiver, and the Devils didn't want to risk losing him at this time.
"Obviously, I was disappointed," Clemmensen said in an interview on the team's official Web site. "I understand the business side of the sport. I understand all the options that were available to the team. I wish there was another alternative, but the situation is what it is. I'm disappointed in this scenario, but at the same time, I feel like I don't have any regrets. I made the most of an opportunity that I had and I'm not going to take any bitterness with me."
If you are a Clemmensen owner, as I am, who propped up your goaltending categories by claiming him off your league's waiver wire, all is not lost. There are still some options for you to replace your lost stats. Chris Mason has assumed the starter's role in St. Louis and is owned in only 27.7 percent of ESPN.com leagues at this time. While his numbers as a whole aren't terribly overwhelming, if you remove a rough patch of games in December and early January, he looks pretty intriguing. Since Jan. 19, Mason has nine wins to go along with a 1.69 goals-against average and a .938 save percentage in 16 games.
Meanwhile, Pekka Rinne in Nashville has seen his minutes steadily increase and can safely be regarded as the team's No. 1 man between the pipes. The best part of all for fantasy owners is that he is likely to keep the title for the remainder of the season, as Dan Ellis is putting up little fight to win the job. Rinne is owned in only 35.6 percent of ESPN.com leagues and would be a nice addition to any team that's now missing Clemmensen's solid numbers.
Ice Chips
Missing two of its best players, a struggling Pittsburgh Penguins squad was able to squeak by the worst team in hockey Wednesday night, edging the Islanders by a score of 1-0. Ryan Whitney missed the game because of personal reasons and will rejoin the club Friday. Sidney Crosby's situation isn't so clear, though. The Penguins' captain injured his groin earlier this week and pulled himself from the contest during the pregame skate. I doubt the Penguins will want to rush him back, as groin injuries can linger, so keep an eye on this situation. … Yann Danis looked solid for the Islanders in that same game, stopping 27 of the 28 shots he faced. With a 2.54 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage, he's not a bad option for a short-term addition to your fantasy squad. He's owned in only 2.5 percent of ESPN.com leagues. … The John Tortorella regime has started in New York the way that the Tom Renney one ended, with a loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team from Gotham was able to make Leafs starter Vesa Toskala look like an All-Star, as the Rangers' dreadful offense was able to score only once on the Finnish netminder. Toskala stopped 31 shots and turned away all three attempts in the shootout. He is on a nice run in his past four games. … The usual suspects did the scoring and Martin Biron recorded his 25th career shutout, as Philadelphia edged Los Angeles, 2-0. Jeff Carter scored his 36th goal, while Simon Gagne scored his 23rd. … In the hurt-again, healthy-again story that has been Daniel Briere's season, there's another update: The Flyers' center hopes to be back in the lineup Friday night for a game against Montreal. … For the second time in two weeks, the Maple Leafs have lost a player on waivers. Last week, Washington claimed Staffan Kronwall off waivers when Toronto tried to call him up from the AHL. On Wednesday, the Rangers claimed Mark Bell off re-entry waivers. Bell had been playing with the Toronto Marlies in the AHL before the move. He was a healthy scratch in his first game in New York. … In what could be a preview of the Western Conference finals, Detroit looked pretty comfortable handing San Jose a 4-1 loss. Rookie Ville Leino scored for the second consecutive game. He has eight points in 11 games this season and is owned in 1.2 percent of ESPN.com leagues.
John Pereira is a fantasy hockey analyst for ESPN.com.
