NHL Trade Deadline Primer: Marc-Andre Fleury is the deadline’s wild card

The 2022 NHL Trade Deadline is Monday, March 21 at 3 p.m. ET. As we get closer to the deadline we will take a look at some individual players who could be on the move. We continue today with Chicago Blackhawks goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.

It was a bit of a shock when the Chicago Blackhawks acquired Marc-Andre Fleury from the Vegas Golden Knights this past offseason for a variety of reasons. For starters, Fleury was the face of the Golden Knights’ franchise from the very beginning, its most popular player, and the reigning Vezina Trophy winner. Given the salary cap situation it seemed possible that a move would have to be made involving one of their goalies, but dumping Fleury after the season he had for nothing but salary cap space was definitely an eye-opener.

Especially when it was Chicago, a team that has been on the outside of the playoff picture for several years and did not seem to have much prospects for returning this season, that was making the acquisition. Not only did the Blackhawks seem to be a long-shot to make the playoffs, but Fleury had just one year remaining on his contract and does not figure to be a long-term piece.

Things have gone about as expected for everybody involved.

Fleury has been very good, though not quite as good as he was a year ago, while the Blackhawks have lost a lot of games and sink closer and closer to an all out rebuild.

That could have Fleury back on the trade market.

There are two main obstacles for that to happen: Fleury has some control over whether or not he gets traded and where he goes, and teams actually needing a goalie.

Probably not a huge return. Again, the market is probably very limited, and while Fleury can be a difference-maker he is in his late 30s and in the final