Marc-Andre Fleury, Wild Agree to 2-Year, $7M Contract
July 7, 2022
Marc-Andre Fleury is staying in Minneapolis after signing a two-year, $7 million contract with the Minnesota Wild.
The Wild acquired Fleury from the Chicago Blackhawks midway through the 2021-22 NHL season. In 45 games between the two spells, he had a .908 save percentage and a 2.90 goals-against average.
The 37-year-old's performance was slightly better (2.74 GAA, .910 SV%) following his trade to Minnesota. The Wild obviously saw enough from him to continue their partnership for the next two years.
In an interview with The Athletic's Michael Russo prior to re-signing, Fleury spoke positively about his brief time with the team:
"I liked it a lot. The guys in the room, it kinda reminds me a bit of my first year in Vegas. Everybody's so close. The chemistry is so good. Obviously, you've got [Kirill Kaprizov], who can put up a lot of points, but nobody has egos. Coaches, honest, fair, great people, too. Obviously [general manager Bill Guerin] is a great guy. The fans, too, how loud it was in the playoffs. The building’s always full all season long. Around town, many people came up to me and said hi and were so nice. It’s a great spot.
Fleury is only one year removed from being honored as the Vezina Trophy winner. He had six shutouts and a 1.98 goals-against average in 36 games for the Vegas Golden Knights.
With three Stanley Cup titles and 115 postseason appearances under his belt, he's an obvious fit for a franchise with championship aspirations. And the Wild will want to atone for a season that saw them collect 113 points but lose to the St. Louis Blues in the first round.
Fleury might be better between the pipes now that he feels more settled, too.
The veteran netminder didn't seem all that enamored to be moving to Chicago at first. His trade to the Wild represented another change, even if it's one he enjoyed in time.
With the benefit of a full offseason in Minnesota, Fleury could look more like his usual self in 2022-23.