The Chicago Blackhawks traded goaltender Marc-André Fleury to the Minnesota Wild on Monday for a conditional first-round pick.
The Hawks will receive a second-round pick that could become a first-rounder if the Wild reach the Western Conference finals and Fleury is credited with four or more wins in the first two rounds. If neither happens, the Wild would transfer their second-round pick in the 2022 draft.
“This trade immediately puts us in a better position at the 2022 NHL entry draft, giving us a pick that will land early in the draft,” Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said in a statement. “In a short time with the Blackhawks, Marc-André made quite an impression on our fanbase and in our locker room. We appreciate his willingness to work with us on finding a deal that worked for everyone.”
The Hawks retain half of Fleury’s salary, $3.5 million.
The Hawks also traded depth forward and penalty killer Ryan Carpenter to the Calgary Flames for a 2024 fifth-rounder, according to multiple reports.
The Hawks faced a conundrum with Fleury. Despite having arrived in February via a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights, he was beloved in the locker room, and the 37-year-old veteran just as quickly adopted Chicago as home. He expressed a desire to play one more season with the Hawks before considering retirement.
But Davidson has made it clear he wants to rebuild the team into a sustainable winner, and acquiring draft picks and prospects quickly has become paramount.
Davidson acted on that mandate Friday, shipping Brandon Hagel and two-fourth round picks to the Tampa Bay Lightning for two first round-picks and two prospects — Taylor Raddysh and Boris Katchouk — in a trade that sent shock waves through the league.
Davidson also sent the message that he wasn’t blowing smoke when he said he would be aggressive about rebuilding.
“Flower, whether he stays or goes, we have to deal with it,” King said before Saturday’s 3-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild, which featured backup Kevin Lankinen in net. “It opens up room for some young guys. It’s an opportunity to show what they have.”
Though Fleury had a modified no-trade clause, he emerged as one of the league’s biggest trade chips in the weeks leading up to Monday’s deadline.
The Wild needed a goaltender who could give them a chance to make a deep playoff run.
Fleury has a wealth of playoff experience — 18 seasons among the Pittsburgh Penguins, Golden Knights and Hawks — and he won three Stanley Cups with the Penguins. He has a 2.53 GAA and .912 save percentage over 162 playoff games (160 starts).
Fleury led the Golden Knights to the playoffs in each of their first four seasons and won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie last season, but the Knights surprised even Fleury when they traded the face of their franchise to the Hawks for prospect’s Mikael Hakkarainen to shed Fleury’s $7 million salary.
Fleury initially wasn’t on board and considered retirement but decided to give Chicago a try.
But his Hawks tenure got off to a rocky start.
He went 1-7-0 with an .881 save percentage under now-fired coach Jeremy Colliton, then won his first four starts under Derek King, Colliton’s interim replacement. Fleury is 18-13-5 with a .915 save percentage since Nov. 9.
In 45 games for the Hawks, Fleury compiled a 19-21-5 record with a .908 save percentage and 2.95 goals-against average.
“And for any goalie coming up backing him up, that’s free goalie school right there,” King said. “You don’t have to pay for that. That comes with it.”
The trade means the Hawks likely will play out the rest of the season Lankinen, who surprised in 37 starts as a rookie in 2020-21 with a .909 save percentage and 3.01 GAA. But before a solid game in which he allowed two goals against the Wild on Saturday, he had regressed this season with an .885 save percentage and 3.60 GAA in 16 games.
The Hawks will miss more than just Fleury’s steadiness in net. Teammates had grown to love the prankster who wore an ever-present smile but also angrily swept out pucks when allowing even a practice goal.
“Flower’s a great dude,” center Kirby Dach said. “So much fun to be around. He’s always laughing, smiling on the ice, yelling ‘poke check.’ He’s won more than a handful of games for us this year.”
Fans at the United Center adored Fleury’s exaggerated swipe while making a glove save and how he rubbed the goal post thankfully when an opponent’s shot drew iron.
“He’s just a special person,” King said. “Coming into this, taking over and having him, you’re always like, he’s a Stanley Cup winner, he’s probably going to be in the Hall of Fame, make sure I get the right minutes in for him, right games, make sure that calendar’s perfect for him.
“But it doesn’t matter. ... He’s just a solid human being. He’s ready to play, he plays. If he gets pulled, he’s fine. He’s a competitor. We’re going to miss him … because he’s a solid, solid rock for our group of young players.”
