Marc-Andre Fleury has done little to improve his draft stock this season. The veteran goaltender has a pedestrian 3.05 goals against average and .906 save percentage through 28 appearances in 2016-17. He’s been pulled from three games and has surrendered four or more goals ten times already, including in two of his last three starts. Matthew Murray, who stole the show in the postseason last year and led the Pittsburgh Penguins to a Stanley Cup title, has been back at this year, monopolizing the goal when healthy and forcing Fleury into a definitive backup role. However, for the Penguins to protect their prodigious young keeper in the upcoming Expansion Draft, they must find a way to rid themselves of Fleury and his no-movement clause. The best option for the team is to trade their longtime goalie, and Fleury has expressed a willingness to waive his clause to facilitate such a move. The problem now is that Fleury’s play had seemingly eliminated the market for his services. Many had speculated that any previous interest had dried up, and if the Penguins wanted to move Fleury out, they would have to send a top pick or prospect along with him to a cap space-rich squad.
That may not be the case, though. ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun reported in a radio interview this morning with Toronto’s TSN 1050 that the Dallas Stars have opened up preliminary talks with Pittsburgh regarding Fleury. If there’s any team in the league whose goaltenders have underachieved more than the Penguins’ vet, it’s the duo in Dallas. The Stars have long been considered a likely destination for Fleury due to their horrible situation in net. Kari Lehtonen has an 11-15-6 record in 36 appearances this season and is sporting a 2.89 GAA and .902 save percentage. He also has another year remaining on his contract, which carries an astronomical $5.9MM cap hit and limited no-trade clause. Antti Niemi has been even worse, posting a 10-8-4 record in 28 appearances with a 3.20 GAA and .901 save percentage. The former Vezina candidate has another year on his deal left as well, along with a limited no-trade clause of his own and a $4.5MM cap hit. The $10MM+ team has the Stars in 29th in the NHL in goals against in 2016-17, with a 3.17 average that is second-worst to only the lowly Colorado Avalanche. Last year, Dallas was able to overcome their 19th-ranked 2.78 average and make to the playoffs, but injuries and a loss of key contributors on the blue line have hurt the Stars’ scoring and team defense this year. Lehtonen’s struggles go back yet another year, to 2014-15, when he led the team to a 27th-ranked 3.13 team goals against and a tenth place finish in the Western Conference.
The Stars will be lucky if they finish tenth in the West in 2016-17. The team currently sits in sixth in the Central Division and tied for 12th overall in the conference, trailing the Calgary Flames by seven points for the final wild card spot. A closer look reveals that Dallas is averaging less than a point per game, putting them in a class with only the Avalanche, Arizona Coyotes, Winnipeg Jets, and Vancouver Canucks as the worst teams in the league. So, you might ask why the Stars should acquire Fleury with such little hope this season? The problem in Dallas extends beyond just this season. With Lehtonen and Niemi locked up for next year, unlikely to be tradeable assets or expansion selections, the team would be forced to buy out one or the other or stick with both of them for yet another season in 2017-18. The Stars also lack any promising prospects in the system to supplant either keeper. A trade with the Penguins seems to be the perfect fit to at least attempt to solve their goalie problems for a few reasons. First, Fleury can be the goalie of the future. At 32 years old, he is younger than both of their current options and was putting up high end numbers in each of the past two seasons. Fleury has shown an inability to play well as a backup, but when given an unchallenged starting role, has been much better. He also has two years remaining on his current contract with a $5.75MM cap hit, which is lower than Lehtonen’s. Any deal with Pittsburgh for Fleury would also help them to eliminate one of their two current goaltenders. If Pittsburgh deals away Fleury without finding a suitable veteran backup by the Trade Deadline, they will be left with the young Murray, who has had some injury troubles, and Tristan Jarry, who has yet to make an NHL appearance. An easy fix is to have the Stars throw in one of their goalies, likely Niemi, to serve as Murray’s backup. While he has been unimpressive in Dallas, Niemi at least has successful playoff experience should Murray get injured down the stretch or in the postseason. The Penguins can then always buy out Niemi after the season, which would be a much lesser burden in dollars and term than if they decide not to trade Fleury and are forced to buy him out instead. Finally, acquiring a solid starter in Fleury and trading Niemi (or Lehtonen) would allow the Stars, who have ample cap space heading into next season, to buyout their remaining backup, completely erasing the mistake that they made two years ago.
Despite Fleury’s struggles, he clearly presents an upgrade for the Stars. They also know that Pittsburgh is desperate to make a move to protect Murray. The fit is there and the cost will be cheap. Fleury to Dallas makes too much sense, so expect the chatter to only heat up as we head toward March 1st.
Pittsburgh is not desperate to trade Fleury for nothing. They still have the option of outright releasing him after the season.
If all they’re going to get is a struggling backup goalie with another year left on his contract, the Pens would be better served keeping Fleury for the playoff run. Having two serviceable goaltenders is key in the postseason (see 2015-16). Holding onto Fleury gives them two *starting* goalies. I’d much rather go that route if i’m Jim Rutherford.
There’s a very good chance that they stick with Fleury and buy him out before the Expansion Draft, which what I assume you mean by “outright releasing him”. However, that buyout would count as almost $2MM against the cap for the next four years. Say they get Niemi and a low pick for Fleury: the performance as Murray’s back-up could very well be the same, plus if Niemi plays well enough they have to option to retain him without worry about the Draft. If they instead decide to buy him out, it only would count for $1.5MM over two years. So they wouldn’t really be giving Fleury away and getting a bad goalie. They’d be getting a comparable goalie, possibly a pick or prospect, expansion security and greater savings over the next four years. The same goes for getting Lehtonen instead, just with a greater buyout hit in the next two years, but no losses in the latter two years.
I didn’t realize the buyout is 2/3 of the remaining money on the deal. If they retain Fleury past the trade deadline, would they still have a window between the end of the playoffs and the expansion draft to trade him then?
Yes, there will be a short window in which they could trade Fleury after the playoffs. However, the last day of the NHL season, if it reaches Game 7 of the Stanley Cup, would be Friday, June 16th and Expansion Draft protection lists are due that Saturday night, June 17th. If the Penguins wait to move Fleury until after the season, they risk not having enough time to get a deal done and then being forced to buy him out.
The Penguins cannot just release Fleury after the season. He has a no-movement clause & that prevents the Penguins from simply waiving him. They can buy him out, but that’ll cost them because it will count against the Pens cap for 4 years. If they trade Fleury, they don’t have that issue. Even if they take a Niemi back, it will cost them less because the buyout will only count for 2 seasons. I don’t think a trade with Dallas would simply be a straight one-for-one deal. A prospect or draft pick would also go back to the Penguins. The Pens would take Niemi’s contract to make the trade work salary cap wise.
The Stars will not be sending a pick or a prospect along in a trade for MAF. In fact, it’ll either be MAF for Lehtonen straight up, or MAF and a pick or prospect from Pitt for Niemi.
Can’t be serious with those comments. MAF is better than both of goalies. It won’t be a one for one trade. Pitt will be getting something else in return.
He is better than both Lehtonen and Niemi, but the cap savings will cost Pitt. Pitt’s up against a wall with his no movement clause and the expansion draft approaching. Either way, he’s not going to be on Pitt next season. Would Pitt rather give up a pick/prospect to save 500,000 against the cap the next 2 seaesons, and 2 mil a year for two seasons after that? I think so. It has little to do with the talent, especially considering the season MAF is having. Believe me, THERE’S NO WAY Dallas throws in a pick or a prospect. Best Pitt will do is straight up for Niemi, and that would mean Dallas’ GM didn’t do his job.
Keep smoking $2547887. This is a GM that turned a waiver wire pick up in Condon into a 5th rd pick, sent Rob Scuderi for Trevor Daley and David Perron for Carl Haglin. He is not going to deal just to make a deal. He will get the value he wants or he releases him.
That goes both ways. You might want to research Dallas Stars trade for Tyler Seguin, Jason Spezza, or Patrick Sharp. If Pittsburgh wants value, which cap savings would be, then trade with Dallas. MAF won’t be getting a pick or prospect back in return from anybody.
” The problem now is that Fleury’s play had seemingly eliminated the market for his services. Many had speculated that any previous interest had dried up, and if the Penguins wanted to move Fleury out, they would have to send a top pick or prospect along with him to a cap space-rich squad.”
NHL GM’s aren’t about to bail out the Penguins, by giving up anything of value, for a goalie with 2 years left at 5.75 per, who has a .906 save percentage and 3.05 gaa. Go ahead and keep him. Take the 2 mil per cap hit for 4 years.
He is bad this year because he had competition for his job and basically had lost it in the summer. He is not a back up, he is a starter. Fleury easily makes Dallas a better team. And plus, this deal isn’t about cap savings, it’s about protection. Sure, cap space is value, but Niemi and KL have both been worse than Fleury and honestly make about the same. Dallas will have to add value, other teams will come for Fleury.
You must be from Dallas. There is no way Dallas can make a one for one swap, Dallas will give something up and will be paying half of what ever goaltender comes back to Pitt. If you dont understand or comprehend that then really dont know hockey. Besides how many times has Pitt raped Dallas in trades?
That’s just crazy talk. MAF may not be having a great season, but his overall and recent record along with his age still make him worth more than both KL and Niemi. Niemi is worth a little less than KL.
It’s all about the cap, the expansion draft, his no movement clause, and his sub par season. That’s all that matters. The expansion draft has killed his value, and every GM knows it. Now Pittsburgh will have to pay to get rid of him and keep Murray. We will see if that’s in the form of 2 mil per for the next 4 years, or in a trade including Pittsburgh prospects or picks.
I didn’t know you were in Dallas’ front office. My bad.
I’m pretty sure that Fleury would waive his NMC if he truly wants to be a pen.
Why are the Pens desperate to move Fleury? What because the buyout would cost them 1.9M for 4 years? Who cares. The Pens are already covering Scuderi for 1.125M this year and that comes off the books after this season. So really, all the Pens would be doing is adding another 750K to “dead money”. Plus the Pens would still be saving 3.85 in cap space AND Kunitz 3.85M comes off the books after this season. Why are the Pens so desperate over 750K hit to their cap?
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Are the Pens open to trading Fleury? Sure, but being open to a trade or perhaps even shopping Fleury does not equal desperation. Seriously, where is the desperation? This sounds like BS spin meant to panic the Pens front office into doing something stupid or to help a team like the Stars get a better deal than they should. If a team wants a starting goalie, they’re going to have to give something up to get one. If anything, the Stars should be desperate. I would be if I were them and I had two mediocre goalies making starter money (shame too, they have some very talented forwards).
Sorry, 775K.
Wouldn’t it just be better to trade Murray while his stock is up. Keep MAF with jarry as backup for next two yrs MAF is great when not a backup
MAF was the difference maker last yr early season that kept pens in a chance for playoffs. Murray has never been the difference maker