Golden Knights Trade Fleury to Blackhawks

by | Jul 27, 2021 | News, NHL, Rumors | 15 comments

TSN reports the Vegas Golden Knights have traded goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to the Chicago Blackhawks for minor-league forward Mikael Hakkarainen.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fleury has a year remaining on his contract with an annual average value of $7 million. Darren Dreger reports no salary was retained in the deal.

Vegas Golden Knights trade Marc-Andre Fleury to the Chicago Blackhawks (NHL Images).

Bob McKenzie reports the Blackhawks weren’t on Fleury’s 10-team no-trade list. He wondered if the 36-year-old goaltender would report to the Hawks or contemplate retirement. His agent, Allan Walsh, said his client will be taking some time to discuss this situation with his family and evaluate his future.  CapFriendly indicates if Fleury retires the Blackhawks will not be charged with his cap hit.

Fleury, a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins, won the Vezina Trophy this season for the first time in his career. He’s third among the all-time wins leaders for goaltenders with 492. 

This had to be a difficult decision for the Golden Knights. Fleury quickly became their franchise player during their inaugural season in 2017-18, backstopping them to the Stanley Cup Final. Team owner Bill Foley had wanted him to retire as a Golden Knight.

The Golden Knights, however, had limited salary-cap space and a need to address their depth at center. With Robin Lehner finishing the first season of a five-year contract worth an affordable $5 million annually, something had to give. With Fleury off their books, there’s already speculation they could be clearing cap room to pursue a trade for Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel.

It’ll be interesting to see what Fleury does. At this stage in his career, he could decide to pack it in rather than playing out the final season of his contract. The Blackhawks will then have to continue shopping for a goaltender.







15 Comments

  1. I am re-posting this comment from another post today as this article is the better place for it:

    So Fleury is contemplating retirement rather than reporting to Chicago. When was the last time a goalie retired after winning the Vezina?

    I read a comment from Fleury’s agent that Fleury hadn’t heard from Vegas even after the trade. Hockey is a business, but man that is brutal treatment of the face of the Vegas franchise.

    • Agree LJ, on the surface it is not a good look.
      Why can’t you at least talk to the guy? Man up. Perhaps the Hawks will eat some salary for a trade to get an asset back?
      MAF is a quality option for a team needing a tender to take a run at it, CHI doesn’t look like it to me.

      EDM at $4M? Return is a guy like Benson?

      • I would take that report with a grain of salt as it was a tweet from agent Allan Walsh.

        He’s been known to put s**t out there over the years to be disruptive and creating duress on both players and teams.

        Remember the MAF/Lehner controversy he created?
        The Price/Halak controversy he created?

        Considering the powerplays and backstabbing Walsh does, it wouldn’t surprise me if the trade was done without his knowledge…..

  2. And he found out on twitter. The Knights didn’t even call him so sad. Hope he keeps playing great guy and still very good player. Maybe he goes to Pittsburgh. As a Knight fan when and if he comes back to play against the Knights I bet the entire arena will be rooting for him like back in the day when Giacomin played his first game against the Rangers. Good luck MAF.

  3. On the topic of trades not going well with the players involved, the Vancouver province is reporting that Nate Schmidt is vetoing his trade to the Jets …

  4. I guess it comes down to whether Fleury would rather go for 500 wins or screw the Knights with the recapture penalty.

    • My mistake. It appears MAF signed his current deal when he was 34.

  5. I’d like to hear what that recapture penalty is. I don’t think it’s much.

    This has some stink on it.

    • Agreed. If Vegas has a wink wink deal with Fleury to trade him and he retires to avoid sticking Vegas with the buyout, that shouldn’t be allowed.

    • Hi Dark G and Fikshun

      If the Flower retires… no Cap hit; no recapture… Cap vanishes

      His deal was signed well before he was 35… so not a 35 + contract

      • Hey Pengy,

        Thanks for the info. Never mind then!

  6. I hope he decides to play out the last year of his contract to get 500 wins. He’s been a great goalie and he deserves that. Maybe at the trade deadline the Hawks could trade him back to Pittsburgh so he can finish his career as a Penguin.

  7. I get the hickey biz move….. strategic; aiming for space to improve

    I don’t get; and I’m irked at; trading him without giving him a heads up

    Having to find out your traded via social media… completely bush-league and totally disrespectful…. awful way to handle thisMcCrimmon

    My obvious preference here is that somehow Hawks retain and flip him to Pens (retain 25% and send Zucker and DeSmith the other way… LOL)

    Retain 50% and flip him to Habs for Allen (Habs lose $625 K in Cap space but get a hometown lad)

    Uproot his family again and play in Chi?

    Retire??

    Hope everything eventually works to your liking (with remaining options) MAF

  8. Fleury could provide the Blackhawks with necessary goaltending for the upcoming 2021-2022 season. He is not the long term solution in goal.

    Fleury has several seasons remaining in him. It would be fitting to return via trade this offseason, or sign as a free agent in 2022, with the Penguins. The Penguins could give Jarry mentorship with Fleury as a partner. Fleury can finish his career where it started, and retire a winner.

    Should Fleury be traded to Pittsburgh, who and/or what could go to Chicago?

  9. The Flower will end up back in Pitt, with Chi retaining 50% of his salary for whatever pick Hextall is willing to give.
    Gonna cost him at least a first, I think.