Could Marc-Andre Fleury and the penguins get together?

The Penguin fan has never been the same since June 21, 2017. That night, Penguin archer Marc-Andre Fleury was selected by the Las Vegas Golden Knights in the Expansion Draft. Fleury, along with everyone else in the organization, knew that the writing was on the wall and that the time of the Flower in black and gold was drawing to a close.

Young upstart Matt Murray had just captured his second Stanley Cup in so many years. More importantly, for a cap-flailing team like the Penguins, Murray was younger by a decade and a cheaper option. It was a no-brainer for GM Jim Rutherford. But since Fleury’s departure, some penguin fans have had some sort of disdain for Murray.

“His gloved hand is the worst in the league. He is not as athletic as Fleury. He is not my doorman! We should have kept Flower! The list of Facebook commenters and their complaints can go on and on.

Penguin fans have been begging for Murray’s head for a while, and many just want to see Fleury as a penguin netminder.

Well, take a walk around Las Vegas and it looks like the Golden Knights have a bit of a controversy over goalkeepers, too.

Who will start in the playoffs: Robin Lehner or Marc-Andre Fleury?

Since they came in a surprise exchange for the Blackhawks on February 24, rumors have run rampant that Lehner would soon impersonate Fleury as the starter.

In his very, very small sample size with the Golden Knights, Lehner has gone 3-0-0 with a .940% saving percentage. While Fleury is 27-16-5 with a .905% record, a respectable statistical line in its own right, though it plummeted with just a 15-10-3 record and .892% savings in its last 28 Games that helped reinforce the need for Vegas to acquire a goalie like Lehner in the first place.

Lehner will become a free agent at the end of the season, and when he talks about the 2020-21 season in a recent interview, Lehner was quoted as saying:

“I’m sure we will have some discussions [with general manager Kelly McCrimmon] after the season and see what happens, “Lehner said Wednesday.” I really like it here. Great team, great organization, great group of players. We’ll see what happens. You never know, but it’s a very good impression here so far. “

Marc-Andre Fleury still has two more years left on his current contract after this season, which will see him capped at $ 7 million.

Keep in mind, too, that the 2020-2021 season will see the NHL have a flat top, there will be no increase in cap space for any team from last season’s upper limit of $ 81.5 million. Various tough decisions await many clubs as they look to lock talent in expiring contracts.

The Las Vegas Golden Knights could very well buy the remaining years of Fleury’s contract after this season, leaving Robin Lehner as the goalkeeper of the future in Las Vegas and Fleury without a team …

And that brings us back to the penguins.

Matt Murray’s status as the starting goalkeeper in Pittsburgh has been questioned this season with the sudden appearance of All-Star Tristan Jarry.

Murray’s contractual situation will surely be on the mind of general manager Jim Rutherford once this season ends. Murray remains a restricted free agent, which means the Penguins control his rights, but Murray can test the open market and the Pens can match any offer an opposing team gives him. But he is online for a sizable payday.

And looking at Tristan Jarry, he will also be a restricted free agent, but he comes to the table with far less influence than two-time Cup winner Murray.

The Penguins could do one of two things: introduce Murray as an RFA and see if someone bids for the player, which has become rare in today’s NHL, or if the team could trade Murray for a substantial package, leaving Jarry as the sole owner of the Pittsburgh fold.

Marc-Andre Fleury could return to Pittsburgh and serve as Jarry’s mentor in the final seasons of his professional career. Now, it remains to be seen whether Fleury would accept that role, as I’m sure he feels he is more than capable of bringing another club to glory as a starter.

This is all speculation on my part, but I’m sure there are plenty of Penguin fans who would love to see Marc-Andre Fleury put on the # 29 jersey for a final race with the only other professional hockey team I’ve ever met. .

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