The 2017 offseason was a tough time for Penguins fans everywhere. With the Vegas Golden Knights entering the league, Pittsburgh had to relinquish one player to the new team in their expansion draft. With their pick, the Golden Knights selected goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. Since then, the Penguins have had goaltending problems beyond their wildest dreams. So now, should the Pittsburgh Penguins reacquire Fleury?
Fleury’s Career As A Penguin
In the 2003 NHL draft, the Florida Panthers originally had the first overall pick. However, the Penguins decided to make a trade. They traded the third overall pick, 55th pick and Mikael Samuelsson for the first and 73rd picks. With the first overall pick, the Pittsburgh Penguins selected Marc-Andre Fleury. While it was risky to take a goalie with the first pick, the Penguins took a leap of faith. The rest is history.
Fleury backstopped the Penguins for 13 total seasons. Instead of staying in the junior leagues or in the minors, Fleury went straight to the NHL. Although he was pretty rocky in his first couple seasons, he got used to the flow of the NHL and became incredibly solid. Fleury was also an integral part of Pittsburgh’s 2009 Stanley Cup victory, where he made a highlight reel save in the waning seconds of game seven to secure the victory.
However, with injuries plaguing him in the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 seasons, backup goalie Matt Murray had to step up to the plate. Step up to the plate Murray absolutely did. In his rookie and sophomore seasons, he played so well that the Penguins won back-to-back Stanley Cups. This is what ultimately led to Fleury being shipped off to Vegas.
Fleury’s Departure
Murray’s success proved to the Penguins that he was ready to be a regular in the NHL. Not only that, but he was also young and could’ve been their starter for years to come. Since they could only protect one goalie in the expansion draft, Pittsburgh chose to protect Murray. Hindsight is 20-20, but this made sense at the time. Again, Murray was young at the age of 23. Fleury was 32 at the time, so protecting the younger guy made the most sense.
Since Fleury was selected, he’s been an all-star in Vegas. He backstopped them to the Stanley Cup final in 2018 and has put up impressive stats. Just this past season, he had such a great season that he is in the running for the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the best goaltender in the league. How did the Penguins do with Murray?
Well, in short the Penguins suffered. Murray regressed horrendously and he ended up getting traded to the Ottawa Senators. Now, Tristan Jarry is the starter but he hasn’t been doing great in the postseason. If the Penguins could go back in time with the knowledge they have now, there’s no doubt they would’ve protected Fleury. However, they could still acquire him in a trade with Vegas.
Should The Penguins Pull The Trigger?
There have been talks about the Penguins reacquiring Fleury for years. At last year’s trade deadline, the general manager of the Penguins at the time, Jim Rutherford, apparently worked hard to trade for Fleury. It was beyond evident that the Penguins wanted Fleury then, and they likely want him now. Except now, the Penguins really need a veteran goaltender presence.
Pittsburgh lacks a veteran goalie. Jarry hasn’t had a mentor to look up to and train under. Murray had Fleury, and Murray was solid, at least for a little bit. Having a veteran presence could make Jarry an incredibly talented goalie. It could also make him more reliable in the playoffs, something that the Penguins desperately need right now.
What would a Fleury trade look like? There’s no question that draft picks would be sent to Vegas, but it’s hard to say what Vegas would want in return. If Fleury was to be traded, Vegas would be fine as they have a starter in Robin Lehner. They are also solid with defense, offense and depth so they may go for a prospect. Fleury probably only has a few years left, so trading away a top prospect would be a bad idea to say the least.
This is all speculation as there hasn’t been any news on this front in a while. However, the Penguins need a veteran goalie and bringing back a fan-favorite would be the best idea. Having someone that Jarry can learn from can only benefit both him and the entire team. Also, the morale boost of having a cheerful and lovable person on the team could be the deciding factor in playoff series to come.
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