Earlier this week, Marc-André Fleury reiterated his desire to stay with the Minnesota Wild to help them qualify for the playoffs, but if the team doesn't reach its goal by the deadline trade, some organizations could look to acquire the goaltender to oblige.
If the post-season duels began now, head coach John Hynes' squad would be excluded: They are in 11th place in the National Hockey League Western Conference and are five points behind the St. Louis Blues, holders of the second round of drafts Clubs. However, no one within the team has thrown in the towel, except that with a larger gap in the standings, general manager Bill Guerin risks receiving calls about the Quebecer.
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Could the latter change his mind for the chance to win the Stanley Cup for the fourth time in his career?
“As we approach March 8th and it is clear that the Wild will be out of contention, Fleury could be looking at 2-3 teams. The options presented to me include the Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche and Toronto Maple Leafs. “This seems obvious, but Fleury wants to stay loyal to the Wild if he stays in contention,” hockey expert Pierre LeBrun said Thursday on TSN.
No movement clause
The Cerberus has a no-movement clause in his two-year, $7 million contract, which expires this season. On Wednesday, he made it clear that he wanted to continue his journey in Minnesota.
“Every year when the players' contracts expire, there are names in the rumors that move around a little bit,” he told TVA Sports host Jean-Charles Lajoie. For me, my club is Minnesota. We have such a good team and good chemistry. I have been here for more than two seasons. I'm not thinking about leaving and going somewhere else. I want to continue fighting with my team to reach the playoffs.