The Chicago Blackhawks received some promising news regarding their recent trade acquisition. On Friday, it was reported that Stanley Cup Champion and Vezina Award winning goalie Marc-Andre Fleury would indeed play for the team this upcoming season.
The news was later confirmed by Elliotte Friedman, among other insiders on Sunday.
The team recently acquired the former Pittsburgh Penguins and Vegas Golden Knights netminder in a trade, but his will to play in Chicago was in doubt. Sources close to Fleury said he was considering retirement and that he would go over the decision with his family.
With Fleury indeed joining the Blackhawks, he will be paired with Kevin Lankinen, who showed great promise in his rookie season. He will also be joined by new defensive acquisitions Seth Jones and Jake McCabe.
Adding Fleury, who’s 26-10 record along with 1.98 GAA in 2021, makes the Hawks much stronger in net. Lankinen was good last season, but showed he can burn out if overused. Having an incredible goalie like Fleury ahead of him should allow him to thrive as a “1B” goalie.
Amid the doubts, having Fleury in a Blackhawks jersey makes the team significantly better. Stan Bowman is looking to make one last push at a Stanley Cup. Adding Fleury to the mix now certainly makes that apparent.
