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Fleury Would Be Hesitant to Join Capitals if Traded There

While the Washington Capitals are interested in Marc-Andre Fleury, one insider isn’t sure Fleury would be open to going to the Capitals.

According to Elliotte Friedman, the Washington Capitals are interested in goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and have kicked tires on his potential availability. At the same time, Friedman reports that Fleury might not be too keen on the idea of joining the Capitals if the Chicago Blackhawks wanted to trade him there.

Related: Washington Capitals Interested in G Marc-Andre Fleury

It’s not that Fleury wouldn’t want another shot at the Stanley Cup. It’s more about what playing for the Capitals means after Fleury spent parts of 13 seasons playing with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Capitals division rival. While discussing the topic on the Jeff Marek show, Friedman noted, after reporting the Caps were interested, ” “I’m not persuaded Fleury would be comfortable doing it. He’s still very much a Penguin, and I think we forget how intense these rivalries can be at times.”

Clearly, this won’t stop the Capitals from being interested, only potentially losing interest if Fleury or his agent Allan Walsh tell the Caps it’s a no-go. After all, Fleury wasn’t all that stoked about joining the Blackhawks after the Vegas Golden Knights dumped him in a trade, but ultimately decided to. There’s even been talk that Fleury is open to sticking around in Chicago and potentially signing an extension.

It’s hard to blame someone who spent that much time with one team, never wanted to leave them, still talks to his teammates from that time and was quite successful with that group, to all of a sudden, being open to playing against them in a bitter playoff series. Fleury is a professional and would do so, likely even get up for the challenge. That said, if you don’t have to, why do so?

Fleury’s legacy likely means a lot of him in Pittsburgh. And, if he were to join the Capitals, eventually retire and come back to the Penguins in some capacity, he’d be welcomed, he’d also been enemy No. 1 in a playoff series. Why go there if you have trade control and an understanding with the Blackhawks?

Related: Flyers Going Full Rebuild, Future of Giroux and Ristolainen

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