Ten or so years ago, if you had told Minnesota Wild fans they would have Marc-André Fleury as a goaltender in 2023, they probably would’ve laughed and said, “Yeah, right.” However, in 2023 they not only had Fleury as a goaltender, but he also played the 1,000th game of his career while wearing their jersey.
It may have been a disappointing loss, but it was still a very historic day, as he is just the fourth goaltender in NHL history to accomplish such a feat. There is so much more to this 21-year career. This article will briefly examine his star-studded career, why he’s so great at what he does, and what he’s brought to the Wild.
Fleury’s Career So Far
Fleury came into the league at the age of 18 with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and although he struggled for the first couple of seasons like every rookie goaltender, by his third season, he started to win. That was his first of two 40-win seasons, and just two seasons later, he won his first Stanley Cup.
He continued having successful seasons and ended his career with the Penguins by winning back-to-back Stanley Cups. However, after those Cup wins and after 13 seasons, he ventured out on a new path and signed with the brand-new Vegas Golden Knights. In their inaugural season, he led them all the way to the Stanley Cup Final and spent the following three seasons there.
Despite all he accomplished with the Golden Knights, including a Vezina Trophy and William M. Jennings Trophy, they traded him to the Chicago Blackhawks during the summer of 2021, where he spent half the season before being traded once again, but this time to the Wild, where he remains to this day.
Fleury’s Wild Days
When general manager Bill Guerin traded Kaapo Kähkönen to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick plus Jacob Middleton and also traded a second-round pick for Fleury, many were wondering what he was doing. At the time, Kahkonen was viewed as the future of the Wild’s goaltending, and while Fleury is easily one of the most talented goaltenders around, his age worried many, including myself.
However, he hit the ground running with three straight wins and had a 9-2-0 record in his 11 regular season games. Unfortunately, the postseason didn’t follow the same path and was quite a letdown throughout the entire team. The next season was a great bounceback season with success, but again, another playoff letdown.
While he hasn’t brought a Stanley Cup to the Wild, he recently played his 1,000th career game, and although they haven’t all been with the same team, fans were excited regardless. He’s been showered with flower bouquets and won the hearts of almost every Wild fan. He’s also shown he can still play like he’s 25 and not 39 years old, and he’s used his years of experience to help guide Filip Gustavsson along his new path to becoming a starting goaltender. Regardless of whether he’s playing or not, he’s been a key piece to the Wild’s lineup the past couple of seasons.
Fleury’s Secret
There’s no doubt Fleury is one of a kind to be able to play at the level he is at his age and do so successfully. He’s like the fountain of youth for goaltenders, and while he couldn’t tie for second all-time in wins for goaltenders, he’ll get there. He’s currently at 550 wins in 1,000 games played, and to think he’s won over half the games he’s played is quite remarkable.
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He keeps himself in shape and doesn’t appear to take himself too seriously. He’s always got a smile on his face and is famous for thanking the posts whenever they help him make a save. He’s a genuine guy who can see most plays unfolding as they happen and position himself in the right place to make the big save.
Fleury does get a little too courageous sometimes when he ventures outside his crease, but that’s how he plays. He’s confident in his style and does everything possible to get the big save. He’s one of the few goaltenders who can pull off a windmill-style save and throw his body around everywhere. He doesn’t confine himself to certain forms; instead, he does whatever he can to make the save.
Fleury’s Future
Fleury is taking things one season at a time and hasn’t made any decisions past that point other than he wants to continue to play. It doesn’t appear that he will be with the Wild next season as they’ll have Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt will likely be ready to make his NHL debut, plus Fleury’s contract will have ended.
Fleury will probably play next season but with a different team than the Wild. Plenty of teams would take him on a one-year deal similar to what the Wild did when they traded for him originally before re-signing him. He’s still a talented goaltender with loads of experience who can mentor younger goaltenders as he has done with Gustavsson.
Hopefully, he can continue to play with such youth and strength in his game for this season and years to come because he is very entertaining regardless of who you cheer for. Make sure to keep watching him this season, as you’ll be able to witness history; if he can win two more games, he’ll take over second place for all-time wins for goaltenders in the NHL and keep the Wild headed in the right direction.