While all eyes are fixed on Jack Eichel, who is set to make his Golden Knights debut on Wednesday against the best-in-West Colorado Avalanche thanks in part to a timely injury, there is perhaps a more interesting situation brewing in the Vegas crease.
GM Kelly McCrimmon indicated on Monday that goaltender Robin Lehner has an “upper-body” injury, which sources say is a torn labrum in his shoulder that will eventually require surgery. Lehner underwent a procedure in the same shoulder in October 2020. He may be able to battle through to finish this season, though that much is not certain.
Because of that uncertainty, McCrimmon and the Golden Knights have been working the phones to gauge the availability of goaltenders around the league. That’s where it gets juicy.
Team sources say the Golden Knights have expressed interest in a potential reunion with goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.
Yes, you read that correctly. They are interested in same Vezina Trophy-winning netminder whom the Golden Knights traded for nothing last July, unceremoniously dumping the face of the franchise.
Will it happen? There is a whole lot to unpack here.
First, Fleury is not alone on a list of potential targets. Per sources, the Golden Knights have also expressed interest in New York Rangers backup Alexandar Georgiev, who let it be known he feels he’s ready for a bigger opportunity elsewhere. There are likely others.
Vegas would need to make the money work. Fleury would likely be the most expensive goaltender available – though the Golden Knights could also move Lehner’s $5 million salary cap hit to LTIR to create room for a replacement, if needed. Fleury is a pending unrestricted free agent in the final year of a three-year contract (signed in Vegas) with a $7 million cap charge.
Then the next (and likely biggest) question is … Would Fleury want to return to Vegas?
Whoa baby. There would be many fences to mend. Fleury did not hold back in expressing his disappointment in the way his departure was managed by McCrimmon. The Golden Knights fan base did not, either.
On the other hand, in a league where there are real concerns about the on-ice success of midseason trades of goaltenders, Fleury’s potential to quickly find comfort with his old teammates and old coaching system would make a ton of sense.
He’s been one of the hottest goaltenders in the league. Fleury, 37, has posted a .918 save percentage over the 28 games since former Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton was fired on Nov. 6.
Off the ice, it would be nearly as seamless a fit. Fleury was a popular teammate, he was beloved in the market and Vegas was a city where he admitted he considered settling after his playing career was over.
It’s not difficult to picture a fairy-tale ending with prodigal son Fleury parading Lord Stanley on the Strip within owner Bill Foley’s five-year timeline, but how would he feel about going back to a team that discarded him?
A call and text message left with Fleury’s agent, Allan Walsh of Octagon Hockey, to ask those questions went unreturned on Tuesday.
Fleury does not have formal no-trade or no-move protection in his contract, but the Blackhawks are expected to do right by him. They seem unlikely to trade him to an undesirable location.
Only one thing is clear: With Lehner’s injury, there is no doubt the Golden Knights’ goaltending is in need of an upgrade to be considered a true Stanley Cup contender. Vegas ranks 22nd in the NHL this season with a .901 team save percentage.
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