Wild acquires 3-time Stanley Cup-champion goalie Marc-André Fleury
Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury reacts after Winnipeg Jets left wing Nikolaj Ehlers scored a goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Chicago, Sunday, March 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
The Minnesota Wild has made a major acquisition ahead of the NHL trade deadline.
The Wild has been active in improving the roster through trades over the past week but swung the biggest deal Monday morning.
KSTP Sports has confirmed three-time Stanley Cup-champion goalie Marc-André Fleury is headed to Minnesota in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks. In the deal, Minnesota will send a 2022 second-round draft pick to Chicago that can become a first-rounder based on how far the Wild advance in the postseason and how many games Fleury plays. The Wild also traded away goalie Kaapo Kahkonen.
Fleury has a career record of 511-297 in 928 games played along with a 2.57 goals against average (GAA) and .913 save percentage. He’s also played in 162 postseason games in his career, winning 90 of those and posting a 2.53 GAA and .912 save percentage.
This season, Fleury played 45 games, winning 19 with a 2.95 GAA and .908 save percentage for Chicago, which has the third-worst record in the Western Conference.
Fleury and Wild General Manager Bill Guerin played together with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons, and they won the Stanley Cup together in 2009.
Fleury, 37, is in the final year of his contract and will become a free agent at the end of the season.
Going into Monday, Minnesota was tied with Nashville and the Los Angeles Kings for the fourth-best record in the Western Conference.
It’s the fourth trade made by the Wild ahead of the trade deadline, which is 2 p.m. Monday. Minnesota acquired a second-round pick earlier in the day from Arizona after trading for two players last week.