Marc-Andre Fleury Reunion Makes Sense for Penguins
If Marc-Andre Fleury has one year left in the tank, the Pittsburgh Penguins should make a call.
PITTSBURGH – Ever since the Vegas Golden Knights took him in the 2017 Expansion Draft, fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins have been begging for a reunion with franchise icon Marc-Andre Fleury. With each passing season, there have been reasons and opportunities to bring Fleury back to the Penguins, but nothing ever came to fruition.
With both Fleury and the Penguins organization at a crossroads, the path to reunite has never been clearer. Fleury is in the final year of his contract, and his status with the Minnesota Wild is unclear for the remainder of the season. The Wild may decide to trade Fleury to give him another shot in the playoffs, but this isn’t where the Penguins step in.
The future of the Penguins has seen a great deal of focus this season as their role in the playoffs is lofty, and a rebuild might be right around the corner. Tristan Jarry has put together a fabulous season, but so too has Alex Nedeljkovic.
Next season, Nedeljkovic could earn a starting role elsewhere in the NHL, opening up the backup goalie position in Pittsburgh. This is where the Penguins give Fleury a call and see if he has one more year left in the tank as a backup netminder to Jarry.
Fleury recently turned 39 years old, making him one of the oldest players in the NHL and the oldest netminder. Turning 40 during the 2024-25 season would surely mean that is his final ride. Getting him for a cheap one-year deal isn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility.
It hasn’t been a fantastic 2023-24 for Fleury with a 9-9-3 record., 2.91 goals against average, and a .900 save percentage. Who’s to say a return to Pittsburgh doesn’t revitalize something in him for one more season?
Fleury has always had a soft spot for Pittsburgh and is likely open to the idea of a reunion to cap off his Hall of Fame career. It’s the move everyone’s been waiting for, and the path is clearer than ever.
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