Pens face tough choice with Fleury
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – NOVEMBER 25: Pittsburgh Penguins Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (29) covers the puck during a NHL game between the Minnesota Wild and Pittsburgh Penguins on November 25th, 2016 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. Minnesota defeated Pittsburgh 6-2. (Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire)
February 8, 2017
As the Feb. 28 NHL trade deadline approaches, the Penguins face a tough decision. Do they trade long-time franchise goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, or do they keep him as an insurance policy in case starting goaltender Matt Murray would be injured?
With the Vegas Golden Knights expansion franchise entering the league, every team has to create a list of unprotected players based on their contracts and other extenuating circumstances. The Golden Knights will be able to claim one player from each franchise. Each team can protect only one goalie, and that’s the Penguins’ problem.
Both Murray and Fleury are very good NHL goaltenders. But with Murray being the younger alternative, the Penguins are likely to keep him. To do so, they’re either going to have to trade Fleury or buy out his contract at season’s end, which is the less than ideal option.
Many people believe that Fleury deserves better than he’s been given this year. Fleury’s stats say otherwise. He’s got a 14-7-4 record with a 3.15 goals against average and a .906 save percentage. These are below-average numbers.
Murray has been given the majority of starts since he returned from injury in early January and has posted much better numbers. Fleury has only started four games since Jan. 8.
The only true problem with trading Fleury right now is that the vast majority of contending playoff teams right now have a goalie. The teams in need of a goalie aren’t in the playoff race. It would make no sense for them to make a major deal to acquire Fleury. Further, his below-average numbers would make it hard for the Pens to get much of a solid return on any trade.
Trading Murray is an option but a very unlikely one. Murray’s value is very high right now after winning the Stanley Cup in his rookie year. The Penguins do have a good minor league goalie, Tristan Jarry, who has posted some good numbers in the AHL. The Penguins could roll with Fleury and the young option Jarry, but that seems a long shot.
Decision time will soon be upon the Penguins, and General Manager Jim Rutherford will soon need to make a choice.
