The Edmonton Oilers goalie tandem could find a solution in the form of NHL legend Marc Andre Fleury as hockey insider Frank Seravalli suggests.
The rumour mill has been running non-stop for the past 48 hours. The most prominent one? Marc-Andre Fleury might just come out of retirement, and it’s the Oilers trying to talk him into one more cup run.
Back in September TSN insider Pierre Lebrun speculated that this exact thing could happen come December/January, while Fleury’s agent Allen Walsh even added fuel to the fire by interacting with the post.
Well, it is quite possible Lebrun was telling the truth whether he knew it or not.
Multiple insiders speculating Fleury with Edmonton
This past Tuesday Frank Seravalli was quoted on the Kevin Karius saying, “I’d have to think that one name the Edmonton Oilers are thinking about today in this circumstance is Marc-Andre Fleury.” He doubled down on his comments, “If he’s gonna come back, it’s gonna be with a team that has an authentic chance to win, and that has the Oilers written all over it.”
TSN’s Pierre Lebrun backed the speculation on his X account by confirming that the speculation is confirmed by multiple teams attempting the same thing.
Since the tweet has been published reports from Sportsnet also confirm the rumours.
A season of goaltending moves
This comes after General Manager Stan Bowman has made a plethora of goaltending moves already this season.
First, he traded for Connor Ingram from the Utah Mammoth on October 1. Second Bowman attempted an Ingram-Calvin Pickard swap that got nixed by the players in November. Most recently, trading away long-time starter Stuart Skinner in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins to acquire former cup-winner Tristan Jarry on December 12.
After an reported injury that will keep Jarry out for a couple of weeks, Ingram gets a do-over to prove he could be the solution as a reliable 1B. However, Oilers management has been increasingly desperate for a goaltending fix that isn’t Ingram or Pickard in that backup spot.
Like everything in life, it has to be mutual, and the picture-perfect one-day contract and preseason game with the Penguins this last September means Fleury might have no interest at one more chance at the Stanley Cup.
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Fleury’s resume
If Bowman and company are looking for veteran experience and leadership, they certainly are talking to the right goaltender. The recently turned 41-year-old netminder has appeared in 1052 regularseason games, along with 170 playoff contests.
He possesses a career .912 save percentage, a 2.60 GAA, and 76 regular season shutouts along with 16 playoff shutouts. Fleury’s trophy case also brings prestige and experience with three Stanley Cups, an Olympic gold medal, a Jennings, a Vezina, and two WJC silver medals.
Safe to say Fleury would bring a lot of veteran leadership to an Oilers playoff locker room.
Despite being retired and not playing in any hockey games this year, Fleury still was a serviceable 1A/1B in the previous three campaigns for the Minnesota Wild, and would project to be a notable upgrade over the existing options of Pickard and Ingram.
The colloquial saying is “third time is the charm,” but for Fleury it could be “fourth times the charm,” if he wants to pursue one more Stanley Cup.
The best part of the deal?
The Oilers could add Fleury without trading any assets, and sure, it would make their goalie pipeline even more jammed, but it’s not every day teams solve their issues for free. This prospective move would require sending an Ingram/Pickard to the AHL, and likely one of their extra forwards.
The Oilers currently have $612,833 of free cap space, before the roster freeze this Saturday. With the above moves, it should free up enough for a league minimum contract.
Players like Fleury often have a hard time staying away from the game of hockey, so it would not be a shocker to see him return. It is just a matter of whether he wants to return. Fleury could be the missing flower to the Oilers’ bouquet for the 2025–26 campaign.
Would you want to see Fleury return as an Oiler? Do you think he would be an improvement in net for Edmonton? Let us know in the comments below.
