With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that are likely to be dealt by March 1st.
Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has spent 13 season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but this one could be his last. Finally forced out of the starter’s role by newcomer Matt Murray, Fleury now mans the bench as the clear backup. The only problem is that the Penguins now have a $5.75MM backup goaltender with a NTC and NMC, and an impending expansion draft. A proven goaltender with two Stanley Cup rings—albeit one as a backup—should be a hot commodity at the trade deadline, but the ever-evolving NHL wants less and less to do with high-priced veteran goaltenders.
Contract
Fleury has two more years left at $5.75MM a year. He also has a No-Trade Clause and a No-Movement Clause.
2016-17 Season Stats
28 GP, 25 GS, 14-7-4, .906 SV%, 3.15 GAA, 0 SO
Season Overview
Fleury had a golden opportunity to silence his doubters and take the reins back in Pittsburgh. With Matt Murray out with a broken hand to start the season, Fleury was poised for his resurgence. Unfortunately the season hasn’t unfolded that way, and Fleury sits with a less-that-stellar .906 SV% and 3.15 GAA. Fleury’s issue is inconsistency rather than mediocrity. Some nights the Penguins goaltender is a brick wall and stymies opponents left and right. Other nights he performs at replacement-level and posts disappointing stats. And since the Penguins now have Murray between the pipes, Fleury gets less and less opportunities to figure it out.
Suitors
The Dallas Stars are the main suitor so far. ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun noted on TSN’s Leaf Lunch that the Stars covet Fleury and have made preliminary inquiries. PHR’s Zach Leach covered the story in more detail here, and the fit seems like a natural one. Dallas desperately needs a goaltender after another disappointing year using the tandem of Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi. Both are putting up numbers as bad or worse then Fleury.
If the Stars trade for Fleury, expect a goaltender to go to Pittsburgh in return. Which goaltender goes the other way depends on what the Penguins add to the deal. Lehtonen has $1.5MM more of a cap hit than Niemi ($5.9MM vs $4.5MM), and both have one more year remaining after this season.
Likelihood Of A Trade
Likely. Because Fleury has a NMC, the Penguins are forced to protect him in the Expansion Draft unless he waives the clause. If the Penguins protect him, then they have to expose Matt Murray and they do not want to do that. So either Fleury waives his NMC or agrees to a trade where he can regain the starting position.
Keeping Fleury and buying him out at the end of the year represents the least efficient move by the Penguins. The Penguins would incur a $1.9MM cap hit for the next four years if they buy out Fleury. Conversely, if they trade for Lehtonen and buy him out, they incur a $2.56MM cap hit next season, and a $1.66MM cap hit the season after. If the Penguins up the ante and acquire Niemi, they incur a cap hit of $1.5MM for the next two years. The latter two buyouts represents a better deal for the Pens then dead money for four years.
The only reason the Penguins may hold onto Fleury is if they want insurance for a deep playoff run. Losing a starting goaltender significantly decreases a team’s chance at the Stanley Cup, and Pittsburgh may want Fleury as an insurance policy and accept a buyout cap hit for the next four years.
Which goaltender goes the other way depends on what the Penguins add to the deal.
Keeping Fleury and buying him out at the end of the year represents the least efficient move by the Penguins. The Penguins would incur a $1.9MM cap hit for the next four years if they buy out Fleury. Conversely, if they trade for Lehtonen and buy him out, they incur a $2.56MM cap hit next season, and a $1.66MM cap hit the season after. If the Penguins up the ante and acquire Niemi, they incur a cap hit of $1.5MM for the next two years. The latter two buyouts represents a better deal for the Pens then dead money for four years.
Dallas is not adding a pick or a prospect to get MAF. If anybody adds a pick or a prospect, it’ll be Pittsburgh.
lol no
Again your out of your mind if you expect the Pens to ADD to the deal to get a dead beat back up goalie. While the Pens may be dropping salary the Stars are upgrading their goalie situation. The Stars need a goalie as much as the Pens don’t want dead money by having to release him. But keep dreaming
PS: Keep copying and pasting this same silly post. Maybe someone will eventually agree with you about the Pens adding to any deal.
Apparently, you don’t understand how the salary cap works in hockey. The Pens will not be getting anything of value for MAF. The expansion draft rules have killed his value. Everybody knows that.
Dallas is in no rush to make a trade. The Stars aren’t making the playoffs this season, regardless who is in net. Pittsburgh has a clock. June 17th. Everyday they wait, the more teams ask in return with MAF.
PS: The only things I keep copying and pasting are new pro hockey rumor writer opinions agreeing with me. It’s not the same silly post over and over. It’s completely different. Maybe you should email the pro hockey rumor writers and tell them they are out of their minds too.
This makes no sense, why would the Penguins pay (with picks or another player) to trade Fleury for a worse backup goaltender with nearly the same cap hit? That is the most monumentally idiotic thing I’ve ever heard. The fact that you think you know something about the salary cap is almost as idiotic. If anything the Stars are probably offering a 4th and 5th round pick and a 2nd teir prospect in addition to Niemi but the Pens want a 2nd or 3rd round pick. A 1.9M cap hit for 4 years is not a big deal for the Pens as a worst case scenario, best case scenario is Pens trade some prospects and draft picks to Las Vegas to not pick Murray. There is zero pressure on the Pens to move Fleury despite how many people want there to be a dire need for the Pens to trade Fleury. It’s not there.
Penquins are fools Murray already falling apart
Murray is the GOAT goalie in the NHL. Fluery was just the GOAT for one playoffs. Murray has the future Fluery doesn’t.
This makes me question whether or not you understand what GOAT means
I’d wager most pats fans don’t…
Lol, he’s going to have bad games, he is still a rookie and is I believe only 23. Look around the league and see how many of the elite goalies were good at a young age, on teams with a priority on offense, including their defense.
Since Gilles Meloche is too old to return to the NHL perhaps Fleury will help Dallas. The Stars need help in goal although their scoring is down and that is hurting them as much as anything. Last year they were winning games 6-4 and 7-3 and this season they are losing those same games 4-2 and 3-1. Go Stars!
If Stars want MAF they better be ready to trade some top young talent. Simple as that or they don’t get MAF.
I wouldn’t say top young talent, but at least a mid level prospect/pick.
Read article today on Point of Pittsburgh that thought Winnipeg was a good fit for Fluery cuz of goalie that could come back and cap space.
Not trying to be a jerk but as an editor, I can’t help but notice mistakes…
“The latter two buyouts represents a better deal for the Pens then dead money for four years.”
Should be “than” not “then”.
Sorry.
There’s no way Pens add to the deal to acquire either goalie. If anything, Dallas has to add at least a draft pick.
With that said, I don’t want to see a trade between my two favorite teams, because it seems to always hurt one big time. Moreover, they are no Price or Dubnyk, but Lehtonen and Niemi are passable NHL starters. Anyone who actually watches Dallas instead of just looking at save percentages should be well aware the problem is the defense letting foes have prime chances with literally zero resistance the majority of times down the ice. Even Price would have questionable numbers with that abominable defense in front of him.