time wounds all heels

Today's batch of insanity comes--surprisingly--from Lou Lam:

Lou Lamoriello, the team's president and general manager, said in a phone interview that there are "no signs" that Brodeur's workload has had any adverse effect on his performance. "He's still the player he's always been," he said.

Massive hero of mine Franz Boas once said of someone's position, "the only things this position argues against are history and science." In this instance, Lou Lam seems to be denying a little of both: hitting up the redoubtable Hockey DB indicates that Martin Brodeur last year put up:

• his first losing season
• his worst save percentage as a pro
• his second-worst GAA as a pro

and finished it all off by playing fewer than 67 games for the second time in 15 seasons--or for the second time in three seasons, if you want to look at it that way.

By no measure imaginable is he "the player he's always been". Even if his numbers were where they once were, it's preposterous to consider a 39-year-old the same way you'd consider a 27-year-old. And woe betide the general manager who doesn't understand that time passes and rarely improves any of us.

--Collision, considering himself as a 36-year-old