St. Louis Blues goaltender Martin Brodeur was given a one-week leave of absence from the team Wednesday.
A statement from the Blues said, "Brodeur will rejoin the club in one week and his future will be addressed at that time."
Brodeur, the winningest goaltender in NHL history, has played in seven games for St. Louis with a 3-3-0 record, 2.87 goals-against average and .899 save percentage.
He has been a healthy scratch the past five games after goalie Brian Elliott returned from a lower-body injury, behind him and Jake Allen.
The Blues signed Brodeur to a tryout after Elliot was injured Nov. 25; the 42-year-old signed a one-year contract Dec. 2.
Brodeur made 20 saves in a 4-3 loss to the Nashville Predators on Dec. 4. He won his first game with St. Louis two days later when he made 14 saves on 15 shots in relief of Allen in a 6-4 win against the New York Islanders.
Brodeur allowed six goals in a 6-4 loss against the Los Angeles Kings on Dec. 18, but shut out the Colorado Avalanche 3-0 on Dec. 29.
His most recent start was Jan. 2, a 4-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks.
Elliot returned Dec. 30 and has made five appearances (four starts), allowing 10 goals. He is 11-5-1 and ranked first in the NHL in goals-against average (1.95) and fourth in save percentage (.928) prior to games Wednesday.
Allen (13-5-2, 2.65 GAA, .900 save percentage) defeated the Edmonton Oilers 4-2 on Tuesday, making 13 saves. Since Elliot's return, Allen has been the backup, and the Blues are on a five-game winning streak.
Brodeur has 691 NHL wins, a record 125 shutouts, and a lifetime .912 save percentage and 2.24 GAA.
The three-time Stanley Cup champion and four-time Vezina Trophy winner spent the first 20 seasons of his career with the New Jersey Devils. He became a free agent after the 2013-14 season.