Blackhawks trade for Marc-Andre Fleury from Golden Knights, but he may retire anyway
The Chicago Blackhawks have traded for Vezina-winning goalie Marc-Andre Fleury from the Vegas Golden Knights.
Marc-Andre Fleury has been traded by the Vegas Golden Knights to the Chicago Blackhawks.
ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reports Chicago will pick up the entire $7 million remaining on the goalie’s contract and only ship minor leaguer Mikael Hakkarainen going to Vegas in exchange for the former No. 1 overall pick.
https://twitter.com/emilymkaplan/status/1420045152165453825
Fleury turns 37 on Nov. 28 so the Blackhawks hope he can continue playing at a Vezina-level for the upcoming 2021-2022 season. Chicago is looking to get back to the postseason and hope the former Cup champion can be one of the missing pieces to the roster that has undergone a big makeover since their dynastic days last decade.
Blackhawks in win-now move with trade for Marc-Andre Fleury
Gone is Duncan Keith who was traded in a cost-cutting measure to Edmonton earlier in the offseason. His play has dropped off significantly from when he was winning Norris Trophies, as well. Brent Seabrook retired last year after battling injuries.
Seth Jones was acquired in a blockbuster trade on the first day of the NHL Draft lat week and signed to a massive eight-year extension.
Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman has shown no hesitancy to acquire expensive talent and hand out expensive contracts. Along with Jonathan Toews who returns after missing last season due to health reasons and perennial Hart Trophy candidate, Patrick Kane, the Hawks will have four of the highest-paid players this season.
For Blackhawks fans who have seen Bowman mismanage the salary cap for a decade, this is a questionable move why he would put the team back in cap hell after escaping Keith and Seabrook’s salary cap hits.
Marc-Andre Fleury may not be happy with trade to Blackhawks
Jones is an interesting move for a young player coming off a dreadful season.
Fleury, as outstanding as he was last season, is entering his age-37 season and isn’t a long-term solution. The Hawks needed someone in net with incumbents Collin Delia, Malcolm Subban and Kevin Lankinen, not long-term solutions either.
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? https://t.co/Bj06YC7oMq
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) July 27, 2021
A source close to Marc-Andre Fleury says that the trade is done, and that the Vezina Trophy winner found out through Twitter. #VegasBorn
— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) July 27, 2021
These moves are both win-now acquisitions for the Hawks who have become a mediocre product on the ice in recent years.
Bob McKenzie, however, reports there could be a question whether Fleury even reports to the Hawks because he didn’t want to be traded and they weren’t on his list of approved teams he would accept a trade. He even suggests he could retire.
Further, Jesse Granger reports through his source that Fleury found out about the trade via Twitter.
Fleury’s agent tweeted he will need to take some time to evaluate his future.
While Marc-Andre Fleury still hasn’t heard from anybody with the Vegas Golden Knights, he has apparently been traded to Chicago. Marc-Andre will be taking time to discuss his situation with his family and seriously evaluate his hockey future at this time.
— Allan Walsh🏒 (@walsha) July 27, 2021
Provided Fleury does report to the Hawks and Jones revets to his previous form, the Hawks should be a playoff-caliber team provided Toews, Kane and Alex DeBrincat are all healthy.
And if Fleury ultimately decides to retire, the Hawks won’t be charged with his cap hit, so it’s a no-risk move to try and get Vezina-level play and make a push for the playoffs with an aging core and group of fans desperately wanting to see good hockey again.