Marc-Andre Fleury publicly discloses: Minnesota Wild or retirement

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Janessa Ladouceur
March 30, 2024 (8:30 PM)

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Having reached the latter stages of his remarkable 1000+ game career, Marc-Andre Fleury has indicated his willingness to extend his time on the ice. During a recent interview, he disclosed his intention to potentially reunite with a specific team in the upcoming year.

Minnesota or retirement

In a public statement Fleury has said that if he decides not to retire during this offseason, his only potential return to the NHL would be with the Minnesota Wild.

Yeah, it's probably Minnesota or retirement. I wouldn't want to move and take my three kids out of their environment. They've moved enough already. I don't want to uproot them. My girls have their school, their friends and their sports in Minnesota. And my wife, Veronique, is also happy here." Marc-Andre Fleury

Will Minnesota offer Fleury a contract?

In the event that the Minnesota Wild do not offer Fleury a contract this offseason, it is evident that retirement will be his decision. Given the presence of two promising, younger goaltenders in Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt, there is a strong possibility that the Wild may choose not to make an offer to Fleury.

Free agent Fleury

Fleury, who is currently in his third season with the Wild, has recently started to experience a noticeable decline in his performance. However, he still remains a reliable goaltender. Throughout this season, he has played in 36 games and has maintained a 2.85 GAA and .899 save percentage. It appears highly probable that the Wild will not make it to the playoffs this year, which would mark the first time in 17 years. Fleury is currently under contract until the end of this season, earning $3.5M, after which he will become a free agent.

No matter the outcome, Fleury is a Hall of Famer

It's quite likely that Fleury's career will reach its conclusion after this season. It's tough to imagine the team bringing him back for his 40th season, especially when it could impede the development of their future goaltending prospects. However, as things stand now, Fleury is undoubtedly a first-ballot Hall of Famer and one of the greatest goalies in NHL history. He's only the third goalie to have played 1000 games, and he has an impressive collection of three Stanley Cups, 560 career wins, and a Vezina Trophy in 2020.