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Marc-Andre Fleury will play another season, agreeing to terms on a one-year contract to remain with the Minnesota Wild. The future Hall of Famer is second all-time in wins (561) and games players (1,024) by an NHL goaltender.
Although the 39-year-old from Sorel, Quebec, never said he would retire, he often took the high road when discussing his future, stating he would see how the 2023-24 season plays out and go from there.
In a surprising announcement on Wednesday, he's returning for his 21st season and will don a Wild sweater for the fourth consecutive season.
Despite the agreement, he often heard his name spoken at the NHL trade deadline as a veteran netminder who deserves one more shot at the Stanley Cup title. He did not change teams at the deadline and re-signed with the Wild. Let's discuss three teams he should have considered before putting pen to paper with Minnesota.
3 teams who should have signed Marc-Andre Fleury
#1, Montreal Canadiens
Marc-Andre Fleury grew up in Sorel, Quebec, about an hour north of the historic Montreal Forum, where his childhood hero, Patrick Roy, played. Roy led the Montreal Canadiens to two Stanley Cup titles in 1986 and 1993, revolutionizing the butterfly style for future generations of netminders.
Although he never got to skate against Roy since the Hall of Famer retired in 2003, he did skate many times against Martin Brodeur, another Quebec kid who became an NHL legend.
As a Canadiens fan growing up, it would have made sense for the franchise to bring him home and allow him to mentor Sam Montembeault and Cayden Primeau, who have taken over from Carey Price.
Of course, Montreal is in a youth movement, and their past veterans haven't worked out, so they didn't need Fleury, but it would have been a storybook ending to an illustrious career in the backyard where it all started.
#2, Edmonton Oilers
Since Marc-Andre Fleury left the Vegas Golden Knights in 2021, the same offseason when he won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goalie, he's been linked to the Edmonton Oilers.
Whether it was this past trade deadline or the ones before, the Oilers employ Connor McDavid, arguably the game's most outstanding player, but they haven't had consistent goaltending to win the Stanley Cup.
Although a pipe dream, many wanted to see Fleury move to Edmonton and be the veteran netminder who would bring the franchise its first championship since 1990.
If he had moved to Alberta's capital city, he could have taken over Mike Smith, who did everything he could in 2022 to get them to the Final before handing the keys to a young Stuart Skinner.
Today, the Oilers still have questions, which begin in the crease and work their way up the lineup. Fleury could have been one of the answers, giving Edmonton a bonafide starter who could get them a ring while serving as a mentor.
#3, Pittsburgh Penguins
In 2003, Fleury became only the third goalie in league history to be taken first overall when the Pittsburgh Penguins called his name at the 2013 NHL entry draft. Many people in the Steel City were devastated when the club exposed him in the 2018 expansion draft.
During his 13-year stint with the Penguins, he helped them win three Stanley Cup titles and come close to a fourth one in 2008. Together with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang, the four were the backbone of a franchise that was a top team in the NHL for more than a decade.
Once Fleury began to bounce around, the hockey community wished for nothing more than a chance to see him reunited with Crosby, Malkin, and Letang for one more magical run.
Even if he doesn't dress for Pittsburgh again, there's a good chance he will sign a one-day contract to retire as a Penguin, bringing his career full circle.
