According to Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic, there are a handful of teams waiting for the Minnesota Wild to be out of the playoff picture so they can call Bill Guerin and make a trade pitch for goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. That trade might never materialize if the Wild make the postseason or Fleury doesn’t want to be moved, but should they and he be open to a deal, the Oilers make a lot of sense.
In a recent chat on the Got Yer’ Back podcast, TSN’s Ryan Rishaug, Mike Johnson and Pierre LeBrun on the possibility of Fleury being dealt before the trade deadline, listing potential landing spots for him and what role he could play. When Rishaug asked LeBrun to expand a bit on his article, LeBrun did and said a number of teams would have interest. Among them, “Go in there and be a mentor and a great insurance to Stuart Skinner in Edmonton,” the NHL insider suggested. He mentioned Carolina could use the same and New Jersey could use a goalie, period.
While Mike Johnston wasn’t sure Edmonton was a fit based on the potential lack of playing time if Skinner was playing well, Rishaug pointed out that the Oilers are looking for a goaltender that can ease the load for Skinner, especially in the playoffs so he doesn’t tire. That happened last season and it hurt the Oilers when it mattered most.
LeBrun added, “There’s some easy spots that you could point to and say, ‘Boy, that would be it’ and honestly, Edmonton would probably top the list for me as a great spot.”
Would the Playing Time Situation Work for Fleury and the Oilers?
When Johnston asked about mentorship versus the expectation to play, all agreed that Fleury would want to play. Rishaug elaborated and said while the Oilers are riding Skinner hard right now because he’s playing so well and Calvin Pickard has been solid, but he might not be able to carry a bigger load, there is a desire to ease back Skinner’s starts. He’s still going to get the bulk of the games, but the Oilers want a very engaged backup.
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Rishaug also pointed out that the Oilers would like to add someone with Stanley Cup pedigree. There is no one on the current roster that has been to the Final. Adding someone like Fleury could mean a lot in the locker room. Rishaug said, “Fleury is the perfect person to be the backup, just from a personality standpoint. He’s got the Stanley Cup pedigree, if he has to go in he’s got experience… I think it’s a fit in a lot of ways.”
Can the Oilers Make This Work?
If the Wild fall out of the playoff race and Fleury is open to moving to a contender, money and trade return becomes the next question. Fleury has a cap hit of $3.5 million, so it’s a doable deal if the Wild are open to taking a bit of salary back. So too, Fleury would be a rental, so it’s a temporary gig.
What the Wild would ask for in return isn’t clear. As of now, they’re aren’t considering a trade. If things change, how much are they wanting to do Fleury a solid and deal him? And, how much do they want to get a huge return, with a few teams potentially making a pitch? At that point, the best thing that could happen is that Fleury identifies the Oilers are the right fit and tells the Wild that.
All that said, this situation isn’t close to happening. It’s all a big maybe, with a few more weeks needed to figure out where everyone stands.