Marc-André Fleury has been exactly as advertised since joining the Minnesota Wild at last month’s NHL Trade Deadline. While splitting starts with Cam Talbot, the three-time Stanley Cup-winning goaltender has gone an impressive 7-1-0 in seven starts with his new club, recording a 2.64 goals-against average (GAA), .918 save percentage (SV%) and even an impressive assist on an overtime game-winning goal just over a week ago.
Fleury, who turned 37 this past November, made it known this week that he plans on playing at least one more season in the NHL, assuming his health holds up down the stretch. Although the Wild acquired him as a rental, that doesn’t mean that they should let him walk without a fight this summer. Instead, the team must buckle down over the next couple of months to figure out a way to convince Fleury to remain in St. Paul, Minnesota for the 2022-23 NHL season.
A Deep Playoff Run Could Convince Fleury to Stay
One of the biggest things that general manager Bill Guerin must keep in mind when offering Fleury another deal is the goaltender’s age. As mentioned before, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner is nearing his 40s and likely wouldn’t want to spend the final year of his career on a middle-of-the-pack team. The Wild have been a top-10 team in the league for a large portion of the season, however, it’s what they do in their playoff run that could be the deciding factor in Fleury staying or going.
The Wild have had issues going on a deep playoff run ever since they made it to the Western Conference Finals during the 2002-23 Playoffs. Since then, the furthest they’ve made it to is the second round…twice. While they are a relatively young team compared to most of the other teams in the league, three second-round or better appearances in 21 seasons is borderline embarrassing. If the club undergoes another quick exit, chances are Fleury will be motivated even more to explore other options this offseason.
The Wild are guaranteed to face the rival St. Louis Blues in the opening round of the 2021-22 Playoffs. Although Minnesota was winless in three meetings against St. Louis this season, two of those games ended in overtime with the third being decided by two goals. Considering how the two overtime contests happened in April alone, it’s safe to say that the Wild can hold their own against the Blues once the playoffs arrive.
What happens next if the Wild eliminate the Blues is anyone’s guess. Unless there’s a massive upset, they’d likely face the Western Conference-leading Colorado Avalanche in the second round, which isn’t exactly an ideal matchup for any team. Nevertheless, the Wild are 1-1-1 against the Avalanche this season and have shown that they can play at their level. Minnesota may have a difficult time eliminating Colorado, however, a close six or even seven-game series might be enough to convince Fleury to stick around for another year.