With Marc-Andre Fleury officially retired, the idea of him suiting up for the Edmonton Oilers seems far-fetched — but not impossible.
Allan Mitchell of The Athletic suggests that if the Oilers find themselves struggling in net, Fleury could be a late-season game-changer, provided he comes out of retirement.
Fleury, a multiple Stanley Cup champion, still showed a strong performance last season, posting a .913 five-on-five save percentage and earning praise not only for his play but also for his leadership and locker-room impact in Minnesota. At the start of July, Fleury’s agent revealed that five teams had reached out about a potential comeback, although no deal has materialized.
His agent, Allan Walsh, confirmed that Fleury hadn't changed his mind. He was committed to hanging up his pads.
Could Oilers Overhaul Goaltending Mid-Season?
But, what if Fleury changes his mind?
For Edmonton, a mid-season acquisition of a veteran like Fleury could pair well with Stuart Skinner or be part of a total overhaul. Mitchell wrote in an article on Friday, “Fans should expect either a Stanley Cup delivered with Skinner-Pickard or a complete overhaul in goal by this time next year. Possibly sooner.”
If Fleury comes out of retirement, it will only be in the right situation. He likely doesn't come back if he's taking a back seat as a third-string netminder or being a 1B without some idea of how many games he'll get to play.
In other words, he'll likely want to be more than someone pegged to stabilize the crease and provide insurance during a critical Stanley Cup run.
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The timing might be right if everything lines up halfway through the coming season. If Skinner and Calvin Pickard falter, management may need to make an aggressive goaltending move similar to the Colorado Avalanche’s 2024-25 overhaul, when they revamped their tandem in just 11 days. Fleury could be a low-asset, high-reward option to elevate Edmonton’s championship chances.
Ultimately, this is a theory that feels like a long shot based on what we know today. Fleury is retired, and the Oilers are standing pat with their current tandem. That said, if there’s even a flicker of interest from Fleury, his name is one the Oilers should seriously consider.
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