The Chicago Blackhawks are trading goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to the Minnesota Wild for a conditional first-round draft pick, a source told ESPN on Monday, confirming multiple reports.
Fleury was the goalie to get this trade deadline, but only if he wanted to be gotten. With his modified no-trade clause, the three-time Stanley Cup winner held the cards, and it appeared he wanted to go only to a contender. He has a connection to Minnesota, having played with Wild general manager Bill Guerin on the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Fleury almost didn’t end up in Chicago. After the Blackhawks traded for him in July in a cap-saving move by Vegas, he took his time to decide whether to report. He finally decided to play for the Original Six franchise, even if its future was muddled. By all accounts, he enjoyed his time in the Windy City and was reluctant to leave for just any team.
Chicago had playoff aspirations coming into the season, but a dreadful start pretty much doomed it. Fleury has been a bright spot, both on the ice and in the locker room. The Flower now moves on to chase his fourth Stanley Cup.