NHL Rumors: Latest on Marc-Andre Fleury, Ryan Getzlaf, Tarasenko Trade

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While goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury ponders his future after his stunning trade by the Vegas Golden Knights to the Chicago Blackhawks, his former Pittsburgh Penguins club doesn’t seem too motivated to pry him from the Windy City. 

Fleury reportedly found out the Knights sent him to the Hawks for a minor league prospect via Twitter and wasn’t thrilled about leaving Vegas or heading to a new city. Fleury’s agent, Allen Walsh, tweeted the netminder was “taking time to discuss his situation with his family and seriously evaluate his hockey future”. He has one year left on his contract and is due $7 million this season. Should he decide to call it a career, the Hawks won’t owe him anything. 

But with Pittsburgh in need of an upgrade at net, many wondered if the reigning Vezina Trophy winner could end his career with the Penguins. Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette quickly dispelled that notion by the end of the day on Tuesday. 

A source told Vensel the Penguins are “not looking to reacquire Fleury” and that the three-time Stanley Cup winner is not part of the team’s plans as the first day free agency looms on Wednesday.

Per Vensel:

“The Penguins have been interested in upgrading the goaltending position after Tristan Jarry struggled mightily in their first-round playoff loss to the New York Islanders. And Fleury, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, remains a fan favorite. But he is 36 and has a salary cap hit of $7 million in the final year of his deal. The Penguins, with limited cap space, are expected to go in another direction at that pivotal position, the source said. And it makes sense. If they coveted Fleury, why weren’t they the ones acquiring him for next to nothing from Vegas?”

It appears Fleury will either have to decide whether to report to Chicago or retire from the NHL. 

Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzalf may find himself in a similar situation Fleury was in only a few years ago. The center’s desire to remain with the club that drafted him No. 19 overall in 2003 may be butting up against reality these days as he prepares to reach unrestricted free agency. 

Still productive at 36 years old, though coming off a down year, Getzalf posted five goals and 12 assists in 48 games last season for a Ducks team that finished last in West Division. He still has plenty to offer teams, however, and contenders may want to test their luck with him if he’s willing to leave California. 

According to Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic, the Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Dallas Stars and Boston Bruins are all fits for the right-handed shot and could try to lure him away from Anaheim. The 2020-21 season marked the first time since Getzalf’s rookie season in 2005-06 he’s scored fewer than 40 points and betting on the Canadian to bounce back seems like a risk a contender would have no issue making. 

It might be a bit tougher for disgruntled St. Louis Blues star Vladimir Tarasenko to find a new home. After demanding a trade request following two reportedly botched shoulder surgeries that limited his play in recent years, Tarasenko has yet to land with a new team. 

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman threw out two potential teams, both of which are looking to add, who make sense for the 2019 Stanley Cup champion: the New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils. 

The winger has two years left on an eight-year, $60 million contract that comes with a $7.5 million cap hit over its remainder. Whether or not the Islanders or Devils feel confident adding that type of salary to their payroll may be the biggest factor when it comes to swinging a trade for the 28-year-old Russian.