Marc-Andre Fleury seems to be one of those players who just can’t stay away from the game. People had speculated about his retirement for a few seasons. Every game he played in Pittsburgh became a huge spectacle since it could be his last. And finally, after the 2024–25 season, he retired.
Or, so we thought.
Numerous teams immediately called inquiring about his services on a one-year contract as soon as free agency opened. And, just back in the preseason, Fleury already came back to play in one final game. He put on a Pittsburgh Penguins’ uniform by signing a professional tryout to appear in a preseason game to end his career where it began.
Sounds like a storybook ending; the book is closed on the career of the future Hall of Famer. But, during the lead-up to this game, NHL insider Pierre LeBrun shared this intriguing thought on X.
Fleury’s often outspoken agent, Allan Walsh, simply quote-reposted LeBrun’s thought with the eyes wide open emoji, indicating a possible plan underfoot.
Can Fleury stay away from the game?
We know how much Fleury loves the game, how much the fans everywhere he goes love to watch Fleury play. He is beloved in every locker room he enters.
He is a future Hall of Famer; combining a lengthy, decorated NHL career with international success into a HHOF-worthy resume. It’s clear why teams keep calling for his services throughout the season. By January, at least one team in desperate need of a goalie will likely offer Fleury a one-year deal.
He is a future Hall of Famer, combining his lengthy and decorated NHL and international careers into a very deserving HHOF resume. It makes sense why teams have been calling for his services, and that they will continue to do so through the season. By January, there will likely be at least one team in desperate need of help in net that would sign Fleury to a one-year deal.
Considering our fandom here, we might know of a team that is constantly looking for help in net. Especially after another lacklustre start to the season, raising even more question marks about the calibre of goaltenders in Edmonton.
Maybe the addition of a veteran leader in the crease who has gone through it all, who has won, who has experienced the ups-and-downs of a lengthy career, is the right fit?
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Marc-Andre Fleury’s career to date
Fleury is someone who has done it all. In his draft year, the Pittsburgh Penguins selected him first overall in 2003. Since then, he has been one of the most talked-about goaltenders around. His winning pedigree started early, capping his draft year with a decorated final season in juniors where he captured the Mike Bossy Trophy as the CHL’s top prospect, earned the Telus Defensive Player of the Year Award, played in the Top Prospects Game, and secured spots on the QMJHL Second All-Star Team and CHL Third All-Star Team.
He quickly established a similar reputation in the NHL when he won Rookie of the Month honours in his first month in the league. Things slowed down considerably after that, however, as the Penguins were not a good team in those years. When the team’s fortunes began to turn in 2006–07, Fleury was a major beneficiary, recording a 40–16–9 record.
From then on, Fleury was continually one of the better goalies in the league. He helped guide the Penguins to their Stanley Cup Final victory in 2009. He was less of a part of the Penguins’ other two Cup victories, as in both years, he was behind Matt Murray in the depth chart.
Fleury’s years in Vegas were some of the best of his career. In the 2020–21 season, he won the Vezina Trophy and William M. Jennings Trophy. He did begin to trail off in his final seasons, but remained a reliable 1B/backup option for the Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild.
Is Marc-Andre Fleury a fit for the Edmonton Oilers?
Contextually, it could actually make a lot of sense for the Oilers to try to bring in Fleury. In stereotypical hockey mentality, simply having a veteran presence like Fleury around could do wonders for the team’s emotional regulation and confidence. Fleury is known for being a fun-loving, upbeat teammate who can roll with the punches, per se, to stay grounded and level in tough situations. The Oilers regularly find themselves in these tough situations that require some mental fortitude to work through.
Another area where Fleury’s experience could shine is as a mentor for Stuart Skinner. Skinner’s confidence and inconsistency seem to be the biggest knocks against his game. He is either a top-five goalie in the league or statistically one of the worst; there seems to be no middle ground. The intention of having Fleury in the room would be twofold.
First, his presence would serve as a buffer to help guard the team against the low points of Skinner’s season. The team adores Calvin Pickard, and they clearly love playing in front of him. However, a Stanley Cup contender cannot be entering major playoff matchups with him as the team’s starting goalie. There are other options available. Though they do enjoy his presence in the locker room, some of the other options are an improvement on Pickard. The hope is that a personality like Fleury could elicit the same reaction from the rest of the team.
Second, someone with Fleury’s experience should be a valuable source of knowledge for Skinner. Fleury would be able to work with Skinner and act as a mentor to help him try and develop some more resilience or work on his consistency throughout the year. Fleury has gone through this type of thing before, like in some of his later years with the Penguins, and would be able to pass on some knowledge and advice in that regard. An intelligent goalie like Fleury could also assist from a coaching perspective, teaching extra techniques on movement and positioning.
The biggest question to answer would be the actual on-ice fit. Is a 40-year-old Fleury the answer to the goaltending woes these Oilers have struggled with for years?
Could the Edmonton Oilers be cap-compliant with Marc-Andre Fleury?
If 41-year-old Fleury is content with a one-year deal and modest salary expectations, fitting him under the cap might not pose a huge challenge.
With Zach Hyman now off LTIR and the corresponding roster moves from yesterday, the Oilers have a modest $212,500 in cap space according to Puckpedia. Assuming the signing of Fleury would spell the end of Calvin Pickard’s time as an Oiler, leading to a trade, that would bump up to $1,212,500. Fleury would be able to sign a small, one-year deal.
Needless to say, this would be a feasible move for the Oilers to make. Fleury would fit in the team’s cap as easily as sending an extra player or two down to the AHL. And there is a contextual fit as well. Fleury’s experience and presence could be a potential bonus to the locker room to make up for the loss of what Pickard provides. While not ideal, developing a starting goalie during a Stanley Cup run is sometimes necessary. If the Oilers organization is committed to Skinner, then this is one more step that they can take.
The drawback is that this is not likely to improve the team in the moment. How can the Oilers really sell bringing in a soon-to-be 41-year-old Marc-Andre Fleury as the answer in net? The problem is, after numerous missed opportunities to improve in net, the options that are affordable and available are slim. General Manager Stan Bowman has been outwardly patient and intentional with the moves he has been making. And in relation to this particular position, he will not make a move for the sake of making a move. The incoming player will have to be an actual improvement. The goalie market is notoriously weak right now, so Bowman will continue to wait for the right moment to strike.
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