Identifying Three Potential Trade Suitors For Marc-Andre Fleury
With the Mar. 21 trade deadline fast approaching, the trade market is likely to intensify in the coming weeks, which could bode well for goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.
After being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks last summer, there’s a very strong chance Fleury could be on the move once again less than a year later. But this time around, the 37-year-old won’t be headed to a rebuilding organization.
For starters, the 6’2” netminder is playing on the final season of his three-year, $21-million contract and is set to become an unrestricted free agent this off-season – making him a rental piece. Second, his deal includes a modified no-trade clause, meaning he can submit a list of up to 10 teams where he can’t be traded.
Based on these two factors, Fleury will undoubtedly gain the most interest from playoff contenders and hopefuls, particularly the ones who are searching for goaltending help. Having said that, facilitating a deal won’t be easy given his expensive $7 million cap hit.
Then there’s also the human aspect of any potential deal. Would the three-time Stanley Cup champion be interested in moving himself and his family for the second time in less than 12 months? Or would he prefer to revisit this discussion once he’s a free agent this summer?
These are two questions that must be answered between now and the Mar. 21 deadline.
If Fleury does indeed choose to hunt for another championship ring, there’s no question he’d become an extremely appealing target. Granted, the veteran goaltender doesn’t possess eye-popping results this season, however, it’s not like he’s received much support in Chicago either.
Coming off his Vezina Trophy-winning performance, the Quebec native has posted a respectable 16-17-3 record, a 2.88 goals-against average, .910 save percentage and a trio of shutouts across 36 starts.
Paired with his overall metrics, Fleury has been one of the most active goaltenders in the league thus far, as he’s allowed the second-most high-danger goals (42) and has faced the fifth-most shots (882) among all qualified netminders at 5-on-5, according to NaturalStatTrick.com.
Needless to say, the 18-year NHL veteran would surely benefit from a change of scenery, if he decides to make that call. Assuming that proves to be the case, let’s explore three potential trade destinations for Fleury.
Boston Bruins
Starting with the Bruins, who currently own the second wild-card spot in the East, their goaltending situation remains in a state of flux past the midway point of the schedule.
Originally, the front office was hoping to feature a reliable goalie tandem of Linus Ullmark and Tuuka Rask. Unfortunately, that plan has since been jettisoned. With Rask re-entering retirement after just four games, rookie Jeremy Swayman has been forced into serving as the secondary option.
While Swayman has performed effectively, earning himself a 2.15 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage through 20 games, the 23-year-old may still benefit from spending additional time in the AHL.
From a salary cap perspective, Boston possesses approximately $1.34 million in cap space, although they’d gain $925,000 in space by sending Swayman back to Providence. Still, this franchise would likely require Chicago or a third team to retain a significant portion of Fleury’s salary.
But with all seven 2022 draft selections available, constructing a feasible deal that works for everyone involved isn’t impossible. At which point, the Bruins would solidify their goaltender position, at least in the short term, providing them with a one-two punch duo of Fleury and Ullmark down the stretch.
Vegas Golden Knights
Fleury back to the Vegas Golden Knights? Yes, a potential reunion between these two parties is something that may actually happen in 2021-22.
Since goaltender Robin Lehner is currently sidelined with a torn labrum in his shoulder, which will likely require surgery in the off-season, the Golden Knights have been left extremely thin in net. For now, the team is relying on backup Laurent Brossoit to keep them afloat.
While this plan may suffice in the short term, for a franchise with championship aspirations, it simply won’t be enough in the playoffs. As a result, this is where pursuing Fleury could come into play, according to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli.
Understandably, bridges would need to be mended before any trade could take place, however, it’s not unreasonable to believe those conversations could occur between Fleury and Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon.
If that relationship were to be repaired, Vegas could facilitate a trade pretty seamlessly with Chicago by utilizing its remaining $5.16 million in LTIR space, which would grow to $10.16 million if Lehner was added to this list.
At this point, the only factor that might prevent this reunion from happening is if Fleury isn’t interested in mending fences with his former organization.
Washington Capitals
Finally, this brings us to the Washington Capitals – one of Fleury’s oldest rivals dating back to his days with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Could Washington entertain the idea of acquiring a goaltender that burned them numerous times in the past? It’s certainly possible.
Ever since former goaltender Braden Holtby was ushered out the door in 2020, management has struggled to locate a suitable replacement. In 2021-22, the club features two promising young netminders, Vitek Vanecek and Ilya Samsonov, however, neither skater appears poised to take the reigns as the full-time starter just yet.
Complicating matters further, Vanecek hasn’t played since Feb. 1 due to an upper-body injury and currently resides on IR, meaning Samsonov has since assumed a much larger role.
If forward T.J. Oshie, who’s been sidelined since Jan. 15 with an upper-body injury, were to be transferred to LTIR, the Capitals’ relief pool would increase to approximately $7.6 million. As a result, they could acquire Fleury without requiring any financial assistance.
By injecting Fleury into the mix, Washington would be adding another expiring contract to its payroll – with Vanecek and Samsonov scheduled to become restricted free agents at season’s end. While not ideal, the former first-round selection could make the most of his brief time by acting as a veteran leader to the club’s other goaltenders.
Even at this stage of his career, given his 15 seasons of playoff experience, the 2020-21 All-Star could well position this franchise to embark on a deep post-season run this summer.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @ThomasHall85