NEWSLETTER
Marc-André Fleury is a beloved goalie in the NHL by three different fanbases. Not many players today can say that. Loved by Pittsburgh, Las Vegas, and Chicago, Fleury has left a wake of stellar play and good memories everywhere he has played in his career. The city of Chicago took to him instantly, making his Blackhawks No. 29 sweater the third-highest selling sweater of 2021, and he only was a part of the Blackhawks for roughly four months of the year.
Needless to say, since trade rumors have started to swirl surrounding his name, the fanbase has been split on what to do with the one called “Flower.” While trading him would get significant assets in return for Chicago, assets they need, he also has expressed he might not want to leave. More importantly, he does not want to move his family again.
So if he were to ride out the season in Chicago, would he want to come back? Apparently, yes.
Fleury said he would love to stay in Chicago for another season but if he’s traded he’d like to win.
— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) February 16, 2022
Here’s the full exchange between Fleury and Chicago Tribune’s Phil Thompson about his future in Chicago and the trade deadline coming up:
Marc-Andre Fleury on his desire to come back to the Blackhawks for at least one more season: “I wish we were winning more, I wish we were higher in the playoff race, definitely, but I love my teammates … and the fans have been good, people around town have been good to me.” pic.twitter.com/KMuZeDkRKC
— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) February 16, 2022
Clearly, Fleury wants to win. Whether in Chicago or elsewhere, he wants to be on a winning team. It’s fantastic to hear that a defending Vezina-winner and future Hall of Famer wants to be on your team. Bask in that for a minute.
…
Ok. Now ask yourself: Is Chicago going to be a “winning team” the rest of this season and next season?
Be honest. The answer is no.
Fleury has been outstanding for the Blackhawks for most of this season. He got off to a rough start in the first few weeks, as did the rest of the team, but since the coaching change took place on November 6, Fleury is 15-10-3, tied for the fifth-most wins in the NHL. He has a .918 save percentage, which is tied for sixth among 28 goalies to have started at least 20 games since November 6, and his three shutouts are tied for the third-most in that span. But the team is not going to make the postseason this year, and with a new GM coming into the mix, the organization’s direction will likely head into a rebuild mode.
So what does Fleury expect to happen as the trade deadline approaches?
Marc-Andre Fleury on whether he’s had dialogue with team about his future: "I haven't, personally. I'm sure we will, right? But the deadline is still weeks away, a month away, so still got a lot of time.”
He said he believes his agent has talked to them, however. #Blackhawks
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) February 16, 2022
Well, that doesn’t clear much up. Fleury holds a ten-team no-trade clause, but all indications point to the Blackhawks respecting Fleury’s wishes to not be traded anywhere if he doesn’t want to go anywhere.
He also says that he wants to play at least one more season, whether in Chicago or not.
Marc-Andre Fleury said he would like to play at least one more season after this: "I don't have that much left. So enjoy this season and hopefully next season again and then after that, we'll see.” #Blackhawks
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) February 16, 2022
The Blackhawks got Marc-André Fleury from the Vegas Golden Knights essentially for free. Trading him before the March 21 NHL Trade Deadline for anything (top draft capital and/or top prospects) would be a significant return on investment for Chicago, speaking from a business standpoint. While it would be sentimental to see him play an entire season in Chicago, it would also be a major loss for the Blackhawks to end up not re-signing him after this season and then losing him in free agency, for nothing. If the team is committing to a rebuild mode, which they should, hopefully, Fleury is open to a trade to a contender for his and the Blackhawks’ sake.
