Two years ago, in the spring of 2022, the Minnesota Wild brought experienced goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to the State of Hockey completing a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks. That was a short-term move with Fleury already aged 37… or was it?
Now approaching 40 years old (his birthday is on November 28, Fleury is finally getting closer to deciding his future as a professional NHL player with his current contract expiring at the end of this season.
“The door is more open today for a return than it was in September or October,” Fleury told Jean-François Chaumont of NHL.com on Friday, March 29. “It’s probably Minnesota or retirement.”
The soon-to-be Hall of Famer signed a two-year extension with the Wild following his trade from the Chicago Blackhawks in 2022, and with his deal about to expire and father time still having to catch up with him, Fleury could give his career another go in Minny by signing an extension through the 2025 season.
Minnesota Has Not Gotten Over the Hump With Fleury
Fleury’s contract from the summer of 2022 runs through next June and was valued at $7 million spread over last and this season.
Over the past three seasons, and with 10 matchups left in the Wild’s schedule for this year, Fleury has played 93 games for Minnesota posting a 49-30-9 record, saving .905 of the shots he’s seen, and conceding 2.84 goals against on average.
“I also thought [this season] was going to be my last season,” Fleury said. “When we spoke this past summer, I was telling myself that I was preparing for one last year. But the mood has changed.”
The Wild have clinched the postseason the past two years with the veteran netminder in tow, although they are coming off three consecutive years of first-round eliminations.
The franchise hoped to foster a change by firing former head coach Dean Evason and hiring John Hynes, but that hasn’t quite worked for them as the Wild are most probably going to miss out on making the playoffs.
Even though the Wild will enter the offseason sooner than they wish, Fleury seems to be leaning toward extending his career for at least another season.
“We were losing games at the start of the season. I wasn’t playing the way I wanted. I ended up feeling better and I started playing better. I rediscovered the joy of playing hockey,” Fleury said. “For the first few months, I wasn’t finding it very fun. I was going to wait until the end of the season before making a decision on my future.”
Mutual Interest in an Extension Between Fleury & the Wild
Perhaps the most promising thing in this saga for everybody interested in the goalie staying active is the mutual interest both parties seem to have in extending their relationship.
Wild’s General Manager Bill Guerin remains optimistic about Fleury’s future with the team. “We’ll talk about it in the next few days,” Guerin said before the Wild’s win against the San Jose Sharks on March 28. “I’m more than open to the possibility of seeing him coming back for another season, 100 percent.
“He’s still having a good season. I think he’s still got hockey in him if he wants. There’s still some gas left in his tank.”
Fleury told Chaumont that his decision will ultimately come down to the talks he’ll have with Bill regarding the franchise’s plans for the goaltender rotation. The Wild currently employ Fleury along with Filip Gustavsson but they have prospect Jesper Wallstedt waiting in the wings.
In any case, Fleury has informed the Wild that “money would not be an obstacle,” per Chaumont, saying “If I come back, I’d sign a one-year contract. And then we’ll figure it out from there.”
Minnesota plays the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday in a must-win matchup between both franchises, but more the former than the latter. The Wild are nine points behind Vegas in the standings but Minny has one game in hand. Including Saturday’s, there are still two head-to-head matchups between both teams.
Everybody in Minnesota knows what’s at stake. “It’s going to be a playoff game,” Wild’s defenseman Jonas Brodin told reporters after the win against the Sharks on March 28 and ahead of Saturday’s game.
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