NEWSLETTER
The Chicago Blackhawks just traded traded goaltender Malcolm Subban. Now, according to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, the club is undecided about the future of goaltender Marc-André Fleury. On “The Point,” Kaplan said the Blackhawks would listen to trade proposals for the 2021 Vezina Winner, but there are many factors to moving Fleury.
From today’s episode of The Point, here’s some early trade scuttle I’m hearing… pic.twitter.com/U6kPXre7Q6
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) December 2, 2021
Fleury is in the final year of his current deal with a $7M cap hit. He also carries a 10-team no-trade clause this season.
As Kaplan mentions, getting Fleury to Chicago in the first place took some convincing after he was dealt from the Vegas Golden Knights. Fleury moved his family to Chicago and was reportedly guaranteed by then-Blackhawks General Manager Stan Bowman that he would not be traded this season.
Another consideration is what the Blackhawks could get in a trade proposal for Fleury. It would likely be worth more to move Fleury sooner rather than later in the season as the trade deadline approaches on March 21, 2022. Chicago received a second-round pick, Malcolm Subban, and prospect Slava Demin in exchange for Robin Lehner in their most recent major trade deadline deal involving a goaltender. For interim General Manager Kyle Davidson to be bold enough to move Fleury would require a much higher price tag than what Bowman fetched for Lehner.
Fleury holds a 5-9-0 record this season in Chicago with a .914 save-percentage and a 2.91 GAA. He has won four of his last six starts with a .954 save-percentage over those starts.
