NEWSLETTER
The closer we get to the NHL trade deadline, the more doubts I have that the Blackhawks will trade veteran netminder Marc-André Fleury — and I’m not alone. In his most recent ’32 Thoughts’ column for Sportsnet, Elliotte Friedman reports that the goaltending market is dwindling as the deadline rapidly approaches.
In fact, the most discussed destination for Fleury the past few weeks might end up being the only place that Blackhawks can strike a deal. Friedman has Edmonton, Minnesota, and Colorado all out on the goaltending market today, with the price for a netminder of Fleury’s ability being too rich for their blood.
Mind-numbing word salad. Read it before everything changes. 32 Thoughts, written version: https://t.co/cVZPZ7NzBP
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) March 17, 2022
In addition to pretty much everyone but Toronto being out on the goaltender market at this point, Friedman noted that Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas has indicated that “he does not want to trade his top prospects for a rental. And, he does not want to move the team’s first-round draft choice for the third time in four years.”
Welp. Fleury is a rental, and it would cost them at least a first-rounder, so it sounds like that price might be out of Toronto’s desired budget.
It’s also worth noting that Friedman’s Sportsnet colleague, Frank Seravalli, has reported that Fleury is unlikely to be on board with a trade to Toronto. At this point, it seems like Fleury will be finishing out the season with the Blackhawks unless something drastically changes.
