Golden Knights Can’t Give Marc-Andre Fleury Away, Even With Sweetener

According to TSN’s hockey insider Frank Seravalli, the Vegas Golden Knights are trying to get creative in their attempt to move goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. After signing Robin Lehner to a five-year extension, the Golden Knights are desperately trying to move Fleury’s $7 million in salary and they don’t want to retain salary in the process. As such, they’re calling teams and essentially giving the goaltender away, plus trying to make it worth their while.

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Seravalli said when speaking on Edmonton’s TSN 1260 radio this morning:

“My understanding was over the weekend that the conversations Vegas was having with teams included, ‘We’ll give you a 2nd round pick AND Marc Andre Fleury and not ask for anything back’, just in order to move the contract. There were no takers at that point is my understanding and… now they’ve got to get pretty creative to move out some money.”

This is problematic for the Golden Knights because if teams aren’t willing to take on Fleury’s final two seasons, even if they add a second-round pick in the process, it leaves really only a buyout as an option. Either that, or they up the anti. Clearly, the Golden Knights are trying to avoid this.

How Creative Can Vegas Get?

Before the first round of the NHL Entry Draft on Tuesday, will there be more news on this front? The Golden Knights hold the 29th pick in this year’s draft. Would they potentially move it to rid themselves of Fleury’s contract?

Would any team even care? The 29th pick is almost like a second-rounder anyways.

It goes to show how deep the goaltending market is going to be. Teams don’t want to touch a contract they deem too pricy. Fleury is expensive, but is his contract that much of an albatross in a tight salary cap NHL?

h/t to Hockeyfeed.com for quotes

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