The Most Essential Player Goes Down

It's hard to imagine the New Jersey Devils without Martin Brodeur in net, and impossible to imagine a player more essential to his team.

The elbow injury putting Brodeur on the shelf for up to four months is the first major injury of his 14-year career, and an unprecedented challenge for his teammates.

The last Devils back-up to appear in at least 15 regular-season games? Mike Dunham, back in 1997-98.

Brodeur routinely plays at least 70 games a year - every shift - and is the primary reason his team routinely ranks as a solid playoff club and Stanley Cup contender.

Given that he plays at a routinely world-class level, can any player be considered more essential?

Not Lecavalier, Iginla, Thornton or Lidstrom. Not Crosby or Malkin, who can lean on each other. You can make a good argument for Ovechkin as MEP runner-up.

The Devils aren't a popular Stanley Cup pick this season. But with Brodeur in net, the chance of a spectacular playoff run always exists. It's happened before.

Without him, Jersey might not even be a playoff team.

(Photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)