Today is the Stadium Series game at Heinze Field where the Pittsburgh Penguins will take on the Philadelphia Flyers. The buzz for this game hasn't been as high as other years in the past. The reason is simple. You are repeating teams and venues at this point. However, just because the league wide buzz isn't as intense as it used to be doesn't mean the game can't be fun and the event can't benefit the local community.

Teams that host the event do a great thing for the local hockey community by affording the opportunity for local colleges, high schools, and youth programs to also use the facilities in a unique environment. Any event that is positive for the local hockey community is good by me.

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Jim Rutherford spoke to the NHL Network yesterday about Marc-Andre Fleury

Rutherford said a decision on Fleury will probably come in final 48 hours before trade deadline: (around 7:00 mark) :https://t.co/uV7ZYobiTO

— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) February 25, 2017

Rutherford said the decision to trade Fleury will come down to the final 48 hours of the trade deadline and that Fleury has mentioned he wants to "get playing" again.

Over the course of this saga Rutherford has consistently laid the onus on Fleury to make the decision on the trade. Rutherford has said he wouldn't do anything until Marc came to him asking for a trade. On the surface it seems like a very nice gesture, but in reality it is hollow. Fleury is getting traded no matter what. He doesn't need to ask for a trade. He's being traded at some point. Yesterday Marc threw the ball back in the GM's court.

Fleury said he's looking forward to talking with Rutherford to hear "what he has to say, what he thinks, which way the team wants to go."

— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) February 24, 2017

Good for Fleury. Rutherford is the GM. Make him make the decision. It was a decision that was made a long time ago, but the market for goalies hasn't been conducive for a trade.

Here are some trade ideas from Mike Colligan

First would be Fleury to CGY for Dennis Wideman (5.25M UFA) and one of their goalies — Brian Elliott (2.5M UFA) or Chad Johnson (1.7M UFA).

— Mike Colligan (@MikeColligan) February 25, 2017

Other option is Fleury to DAL for Oduya (3.75M UFA) and Niemi (4.5M 1 yr left). Oduya coming off ankle injury, could return Sun vs Boston.

— Mike Colligan (@MikeColligan) February 25, 2017

DAL would likely need to retain 50% on Niemi to make it digestible. PIT could then buyout Niemi (after expansion) for minimal cap hit.

— Mike Colligan (@MikeColligan) February 25, 2017

Option one is the better option. It doesn't involve a buyout and every player is off the books for next year. Both options involve picking up a less than stellar defenseman. Johnny Oduya ranks poor in both possession and ability to generate offense. Wideman is even worse than Oduya on the possession front but he is able to generate offense at a top pairing rate.



A Fleury trade was never going to be a "win" in the sense that the team was going to get to shred his contract and get quality assets. The win is moving him without future damage to the team's cap and/or "paying" another team with assets to take him.

The two trades above are realistic and have a chance of happening. The Penguins don't have any leverage and those two teams would like a goalie. The last bit of housekeeping in a deal like this would be the waving of a no-trade clause if it were to apply to either team. At this stage of the game I have to imagine if Fleury wants to "get playing again" he will waive.

If Fleury does indeed get traded by the deadline his last game will have been against the Winnipeg Jets in the teams 4-3 overtime win. He will not be starting tonight against the Flyers

Murray leaves ice first at Pens morning skate. Fleury still out here on shootout duty w/ the forwards.

— Bill West (@BWest_Trib) February 25, 2017

You can't trade an injured Marc-Andre Fleury so this is the safe play, albeit not the storybook ending.

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