No matter the circumstances on and off the ice, Marc-Andre Fleury comes back strong every year and is reliable whether between the pipes, on the bench, or in the locker room. He's the quintessential teammate who supports everyone no matter his role, never pouting or bellyaching.
After his first two seasons in the NHL in 2003-04 and 2005-06 (lockout season in between), Fleury has generally put up good to great goalie numbers every year since then always posting a winning season as far as win-loss record and registering a save percentage no lower than .905.
Fleury provides stability and dependability in net that has been lost ever since Corey Crawford started having injury issues and eventually became a free agent before retiring a few months later. Like Crawford, Fleury also has a championship pedigree with multiple Cup rings.
Fleury is gracing a goaltending cadre in Chicago that is largely inexperienced. His dependability and mentorship should pay dividends to incumbent starter Kevin Lankinen and possibly Malcolm Subban and Collin Delia if they are still with the team once training camp begins.
Rather than continuing to call Las Vegas home, could the fact that Fleury is now searching for a place to live and finding schools for his kids in Chicago signal a possible extension beyond this season if staying in one locale rather than uprooting every year is a priority?
But this would also depend on what role Fleury has in subsequent years beyond 2021-22. Perhaps he has a slight edge over Lankinen in games started as they form a 1a/1b goalie tandem during the upcoming season then he gradually decreases his starts in successive seasons.
If that's a plausible scenario, then it buys time for 2020 2nd rounder and top goalie prospect Drew Commesso to develop at a reasonable pace in the NCAA then in the AHL. Commesso is likely at Boston University for at least one more year before a few seasons as the IceHogs starter.
The same could be said about recent European free agent signee Arvid Soderblom who some have considered just as good -- if not better -- than fellow Swede and 2021 1st rounder Jesper Wallstedt. Soderblom will jockey with Cale Morris for the starting role in Rockford this season.
Since Fleury's main sticking point to commit to the Hawks is to not be traded at any point this season, the Hawks won’t have an opportunity to gain more assets by dealing him if the team flops. Could he sing a different tune later and agree to be traded in order to play for a contender?
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Subban vs Delia
With Fleury confirmed for the season, look for either Subban or Delia (or possibly both) to be shipped out in order to avoid overcrowding in the goalie bullpen. Soderblom is the other goalie under NHL contract while Morris and Tom Aubrun are both signed to AHL contracts.
The preference would be to keep Subban given he’s almost as great a teammate as Fleury with his selflessness and team-first mentality. If he can gain control of rebounds, Subban could get to the next level. Retaining him would be insurance as Soderblom isn't a sure bet yet.
While he has a competitive fire, Delia gets passive aggressive when he doesn't get ice time so it's tough seeing him like going from potential 1st string a summer ago to 3rd string this past season to not having a clear path to play unless there’s an injury to Fleury or Lankinen.
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What to Watch For
Now that Fleury is locked in, look for the following transactions to transpire over the next week or two:
* Brandon Hagel and Alex Nylander get re-signed with the latter possibly being trade bait.
* Calvin de Haan gets dealt for a 3rd rounder or lower then possibly a cheap UFA defenseman is signed to start in his spot or be the reserve.
* Dylan Strome could at least be dangled in a trade to see what returns are available but his status with the Hawks could depend on how much they trust Jonathan Toews to be able to play a good portion of the season.
* Expect one of Ryan Carpenter or Brett Connolly to be on another team.
* And as mentioned above, either Subban or Delia is sent packing in exchange for a low draft pick.
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