Statement from Marc-Andre Fleury: pic.twitter.com/qatwG1FYFw
— Allan Walsh (@walsha) July 28, 2021
TSN: Darren Dreger said that the Chicago Blackhawks now need to convince Marc-Andre Fleury that they are the right team for him.
The Vegas Golden Knights will use the cap savings on a backup goaltender and a forward.
Pierre LeBrun adds that in no time there was speculation that maybe he could be moved again.
“The Fleury trade was less than an hour old and there was already media speculation that somehow he would end up in Pittsburgh where he probably would rather be, as that’s where his career began. Maybe part of that is that, last off-season, former Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford almost reacquired Fleury before that deal fell through. “
LeBrun adds that the Blackhawks acquired Fleury to play for them and not to be flipped.
Bob McKenzie: “CHI’s leverage here is that it could absorb MAF’s full cap hit and the Hawks were NOT on MAF’s 10-team no-trade list. So, given that MAF did NOT want to play anywhere other than VGK, here’s a question: Will he report to the Hawks? Or, at age 36, might he contemplate retirement?”
Rob Rossi, Scott Powers and Mark Lazerus of The Athletic: One source said that Marc-Andre Fleury was “totally shocked” and another said he “doesn’t want to play there.”
It wasn’t anything against not playing in with the Blackhawks but more about not wanting to take his family to an unfamiliar city.
Fleury knew that he wasn’t viewed as the Golden Knights guy but was confident that he would be able to finish out his contract with the team. He was confident as he just won the Vezina.
A source said that if he wasn’t in Vegas, Fleury had an eye for Pittsburgh.
“Pitt’s home to him,” a source said of Fleury. “He and (his wife) Veronique grew up there, you know?”
The Penguins tried to acquire Fleury last summer and had a deal that was blocked by Golden Knights owner Bill Foley.
Multiple sources have said that Penguins GM Ron Hextall may want to upgrade in net, but he hasn’t publicly come out and said that. It wouldn’t be easy for the Penguins to fit in Fleury’s $7 million cap hit. A source added Hextall and Burke would open to the idea but not at seven.
John Vogl: “The Sabres certainly have the cap space and need to be a middleman and help the Penguins fit Fleury. They could eat part of Fleury’s salary while picking up Tristan Jarry or Casey DeSmith as a stopgap in goal. Reminder: The Sabres have zero goalies.”