Heading into the All-Star break, the Wild sit seven points behind the St. Louis Blues, who currently hold the eighth and last playoff spot in the Western Conference. In the 13th position out of the 16 teams in the conference, GM Bill Guerin hasn’t given up hope of a playoff berth, but things aren’t looking so good. As such, trade talk is starting to surround their pending UFAs, including goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.
Having to overtake Nashville, Seattle, Arizona, and Calgary, it won’t be long until the Wild start to approach players about their desires to stay or jump ship. The biggest name in the organization is Fleury’s. If becomes available and he’s open to playing for a contender, plenty of teams will show interest.
If teams are interested and the Wild look like they won’t make the playoffs, you know Guerin will do Fleury the courtesy of bringing those teams to Fleury’s attention to see if he’d want to waive his no-move clause for the chance to play for a playoff team.
The Colorado Avalanche, New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes are among the teams who could be in the market for a goalie. While not all have a ton of cap space to make a deal, the Wild might be open to salary retention or doing Fleury a solid. He’s earned that right around the NHL and with the Wild.
Would Fleury Even Want to be Traded Elsewhere?
There is no guarantee Fleury is going to be open to a change. He’s been traded before and in many cases, he’s said he’s tired of moving around. But, in some of those respective deals, he ultimately waived to join each roster. If allowed to compete again, he might take it.
But, this is a player that wants to play. Insiders have said he won’t be looking to move to a team and watch from the bench. That means clubs who have a starter but want a backup might be out of luck.
Next: Scribe Lists Compelling Reasons for Oilers to Go All In This Season
This website aggregates and curates news articles, blog posts, and other content from a variety of external sources. While we aim to link back to the original source, this site does not own or claim ownership of any articles, posts, or other content indexed on this site. The views, opinions, and factual statements expressed in each piece of aggregated content belong solely to its respective author and publisher. We make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of aggregated content. Visitors are advised to verify facts and claims through the original source before reuse or redistribution.
