(670 The Score) The Blackhawks on Tuesday morning were finalizing a trade to acquire star goalie Marc-Andre Fleury from the Vegas Golden Knights, Emily Kaplan of ESPN reported.
Fleury’s addition would be a massive step toward competing at a higher level for the Blackhawks, as he’s the reigning Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL’s best goalie. Fleury, 36, had a 1.98 goals against average and .928 save percentage in 36 games last season. He’s a five-time All-Star with a .913 save percentage in his 17-year NHL career.
The deal is more or less a salary dump from Vegas’ perspective, as it won’t retain any of his $7-million salary through this upcoming season, Kaplan reported. In return, the Blackhawks will trade minor league forward Mikael Hakkarainen to the Golden Knights. He didn’t register a point in six games at AHL Rockford last season and had one point in six games for the ECHL Indy Fuel.
In the immediate aftermath of the news breaking Tuesday, there was some uncertainty about the details and whether the veteran Fleury plans to report to Chicago. There was speculation across the NHL that Fleury could choose to retire if was traded, Elliotte Friedman of SportsNet previously reported.
If Fleury is in the Blackhawks' picture next season, his addition and accompanying salary will necessitate other cost-cutting moves for Chicago to get under the salary cap.