Surprising New Competition Emerges For Oilers in Marc‑André Fleury Sweepstakes

Preseason rumors that Marc‑Andre Fleury might return to the NHL later this season to join a contending team for a Stanley Cup run appear to be coming true. Nothing is confirmed, but the noise is getting louder and more and more trusted reports are discussing the possibility, going so far as to name teams that are poking around on the netminder.

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TSN insider Pierre LeBrun first sparked speculation back in September, when Fleury took the ice in a preseason game with the Pittsburgh Penguins and looked like his usual self, leading many to believe he could continue playing if he chose to. A few months later, insiders have reported that the “Flower” is itching to make a comeback, with the Edmonton Oilers emerging as an obvious landing spot—especially now that Tristan Jarry is injured.

At this point, the only other team that might be in the running is the Montreal Canadiens, though there hasn’t been any concrete connection despite the apparent fit.

Because of that, it’s felt like this could be somewhat of a one-team race; however, LeBrun’s recent matchmaker article for The Athletic has tossed a fascinating new landing spot into the mix, and that’s the Tampa Bay Lightning.

LeBrun wrote:

“Several teams have reached out of late to see if Fleury would be inclined to come out of retirement. I’m not sure how likely it is to happen, but the fact that teams have reached out is interesting in itself… But my theory here is that if something should happen injury-wise to Andrei Vasilevskiy in the playoffs — and he’s been dinged up more than a few times over the past few seasons, including this one — imagine having the insurance of a future Hockey Hall of Fame goalie in Fleury?”

The 41-year-old Fleury is, of course, currently retired, though he remains in playing shape, having appeared in 26 contests last season for the Minnesota Wild, where he went 14-9-1 with a 2.93 goals-against average, .899 save percentage, and one shutout.

Tampa Bay Is a Sneaky Good Landing Spot for Marc‑André Fleury

Very few, if anyone, would have thought of or mentioned the Lightning as one to enter any potential Fleury sweepstakes, but the idea actually makes a lot of sense.

After years of deep playoff runs and heavy workloads, Andrei Vasilevskiy has started to feel it, having dealt with injury issues in recent seasons, making goaltending depth in Tampa Bay more important than ever. At 31 years old, Vasilevskiy’s combination of age and accumulated wear and tear will need more careful management moving forward.

As LeBrun mentioned, Jonas Johansson has been solid behind him since arriving in the Sunshine State. That said, given their current situation, it would be silly to pass up the chance to explore adding another reliable goaltender with championship pedigree.

It certainly adds an interesting wrinkle to things, and it would be quite the decision for Fleury to have to choose between the Oilers, Lightning, or even the Canadiens if given the option of all three.

Next: Insider Doubles Down on Marc-André Fleury Return Rumors