YES Network.com

New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur could become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, and according to recently-hired agent Pat Brisson, the veteran “could still re-sign before Sunday,” but is “leaning now toward the open market.”

Brodeur, who just finished a six-year deal with the Devils, has registered all 656 of his career regular-season victories with New Jersey, and has never reached unrestricted free agency in his career – a process he has openly expressed his desire to avoid again this summer.

"I don't see myself at all doing that," Brodeur said. "But again, I think circumstances are out of my hands. You never know, I guess. I don't want to. It definitely would have to be something really weird that I'm going to do that. The Devils is what I am, what I believe in and this is where I want to be."

But with his future in New Jersey cloudy thanks to “limited contact” with the Devils and ownership’s recent financial troubles, Brodeur hired Brisson in a move that he had hinted that he would make if he felt that he had to negotiate with other teams.

The 40-year-old netminder had always represented himself in negotiations with Devils GM Lou Lamoriello throughout his 20-year career, and Lamoriello is hopeful that the move is just a precautionary measure.

"Marty will be a Devil as long as he wants to be,” Lamoriello said shortly after the Devils’ run to the Stanley Cup Finals ended. “I don't think there's ever something he and I have trouble with. I don't want to see him put on any other uniform, and I don't think he wants to."

The Devils also face the prospect of losing several more key players in free agency, including captain Zach Parise, who was drafted by the team in 2003 and has been a career-long Devil as well.