With less than 48 hours until the NHL’s trade deadline, the Minnesota Wild have reportedly discussed a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks to acquire Marc-Andre Fleury.
According to The Athletic’s Michael Russo, Wild general manager Bill Guerin has evaluated the price of goaltenders ahead of Monday’s 2 p.m. deadline. Russo also reports that Guerin has zeroed in on Fleury, who is believed to be willing to waive his no-trade clause to come to Minnesota.
The 37-year-old is a three-time Stanley Cup champion, former All-Star and won the Vezina Trophy with the Vegas Golden Knights last season. Although he has a Hall of Fame resume, his performance (19-20-5, 2.90 goals-against average, .909 save percentage) this season hasn’t lived up to his reputation as the Chicago Blackhawks have fallen toward the bottom of the Central Division standings.
Putting Fleury in a better situation could bring out the player that helped the Golden Knights knock the Wild out of the playoffs last season. But the cost of acquiring him could give Guerin second thoughts.
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun tweeted earlier this week that the Blackhawks are asking for a first-round pick or top prospect along with a mid-round pick in exchange for Fleury. Russo also reports that while Guerin is not interested in moving his 2022 first-round pick, he is open to dealing the Wild’s second-round pick in this year’s draft.
The Wild is in need of goaltending after Cam Talbot and Kaapo Kahkonen have struggled over the past couple of months. Minnesota is allowing four goals per game since the All-Star break and although Talbot has won each of his past four starts, he has allowed four or more goals in six of his past nine starts.
With the Wild already acquiring Tyson Jost and Nicolas Deslauriers, it’s possible Guerin isn’t done bolstering his roster for a playoff push.
