NEWSLETTER
Marc-André Fleury is the most sought-after goaltender on the market at this upcoming trade deadline.
Er, that is, he WOULD be, if he were actually on the market. Saturday night brought about some conflicting reports on the potential availability of the Blackhawks goaltender. Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun reported that Fleury indeed doesn’t want to be dealt before the March 21 trade deadline. Instead, the veteran goaltender and defending Vezina winner prefers to stay in Chicago for the remainder of the season.
https://twitter.com/simmonssteve/status/1500262622993829889?s=20&t=MyLspSkfoFc6hd4T9okQ5Q
Honestly, this makes a ton of sense. Fleury was originally not thrilled about moving his family to Chicago from Vegas this summer after the Golden Knights traded him to the Blackhawks. Since then, Fleury has embraced Chicago and the Blackhawks, and recent discussion has him preferring to stay in Chicago through the end of the season.
Simmons’ report backs that claim up, pegging the goaltender as a non-starter when it comes to potential trade deadline discussion. The Blackhawks have made clear that if Fleury does not want to be dealt, they will not move him. So, with Simmons’ report, case closed, right?
Well, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times disagrees:
My understanding is the Fleury situation is still up in the air, contrary to this report. I don’t think he has ruled it out. https://t.co/iCrPT2xf9Y
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) March 6, 2022
Pope reports that the Fleury situation is still very much up for discussion, conflicting with Simmons’ report.
When it comes to who is right and who is wrong, who really knows? I tend to side with the local beat reporter Pope on this one. Either way, this will be a fluid situation to continue to monitor over the next couple of weeks. Fleury could bring the Blackhawks an excellent return, but Kyle Davidson has made it clear that he will not deal Fleury if he wants to stay in Chicago for the remainder of the season.
Fleury, 37, is a UFA at the end of this season. The NHL Trade Deadline is just 16 days away …
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