Marc-Andre Fleury is contemplating retirement after a blockbuster trade on Tuesday saw the reigning Vezina Trophy winner transferred from the Vegas Golden Knights to the Chicago Blackhawks.
According to his agent Allan Walsh, the three-time Stanley Cup champion was blindsided with the move. Walsh released a statement on Twitter before the trade was made official, saying, "While Marc-Andre Fleury still hasn't heard from anybody with the Vegas Golden Knights, he has apparently been traded to Chicago."
According to sources, Fleury already had a phone conversation with Blackhawks president and general manager Stan Bowman after the trade was completed. Fleury's next move is still up in the air, with the Blackhawks management giving the 36-year-old goaltender all the space and time he needs to make a proper decision.
Chicago wants Fleury to continue his career with the Blackhawks
The Blackhawks surely hope that Fleury will opt to extend his career in Chicago. They are accelerating their team rebuilding after missing the playoffs in three of the past four seasons. The goalie is the main priority for Chicago after the Blackhawks parted ways with Corey Crawford ahead of last season.
The Blackhawks' decision to use youngsters Collin Delia, Kevin Lankinen, and Malcolm Subban as their goaltenders last season backfired as they finished a lowly sixth place in the Central Division. There is no better player to bolster that position than Fleury, who played lights out for the Golden Knights last campaign.
Fleury went 26-10-0 with a career-best .928 save percentage and 1.98 GAA as Vegas had the league's second-best record in the regular season, trailing only Colorado. The 17-year NHL veteran was rewarded with that performance as he won his first Vezina Trophy as a member of the Golden Knights last year.
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Vegas chooses Lehner over Fleury for the 2021 season
There was tension, however, in Vegas' goalie ranks with Robin Lehner also in the squad. Lehner was acquired at the 2020 trade deadline with both goaltenders time-sharing the position. Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon did not want Fleury and Lehner to split the net 50-50 again this season, with both players combining for $12 million against the cap.
Chicago saw an opening, trading minor-league forward Mikael Hakkarainen to the Golden Knights for the star goaltender. Bowman released a statement after the deal was made, saying, "The opportunity to acquire a Vezina-winning goaltender is rare and one you cannot pass up."
Bowman added that Fleury would improve the Blackhawks' goaltending and defense and have a huge impact on the team's overall development. It is a new era for Chicago after the Blackhawks decided to part ways with three of their Stanley Cup stalwarts, Duncan Keith (traded to the Edmonton Oilers), Brent Seabrook (retirement), and Andrew Shaw (retirement).
They then bolstered their defense with the acquisition of Seth Jones, who agreed on an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $9.5 million with the Blackhawks. The ball now is in Fleury's court if he will join the rebuilding process in Chicago.
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