A few months after being abandoned by the Vegas Golden Cavaliers with almost nothing, Marc-Andre Fleury is playing great hockey at the right time.

Marc-Andre Fleury was barely traded. 

Given the uninterrupted roller coaster of the NHL 2021-22 season so far, this is an easy to forget fact, but it is a fact. Just six months ago, the defending champion Guardian Zener, the much-anticipated Hall of Fame member and the third goalkeeper in league history to win 500 professional victories were traded by a contender for future consideration. 

Really, it doesn't matter to Fleury. The 37-year-old was in business as usual in his 18th NHL season, winning three of the last five games, winning games for a Blackhawks team that needs all the highlights, while compiling a save rate of 0.913. , Lagging behind one of them. The worst defensive lineup in the league. 

"We are talking about someone who just celebrated his 37th birthday," Blackhawks guard Connor Murphy praised his goalkeeper before meeting with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. 

"It's really amazing. At that age, he was able to have the athletic ability and stability that he has today. This explains why he has that milestone. So, we are really grateful to be a part of it and see his great" 

This greatness is not limited to Fleury's teammates. Opponents have respect for this veteran who is rarely seen in the league. He is respected by his peers. Moreover, in the isolated world of ice hockey, there really is no higher honor. 

"When you look at Fleury, I mean, he really did all the things that should be done," Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Kiefer said. 

"In fact, he is still moving forward, and he has the energy and passion he has... It's great to see a player with such a long life."

Fleury easily sulked in the days after Las Vegas kicked him out of Chicago's gates with little warning. After all, the Blackhawks are not completely on the edge of another dynasty. After all, they have missed the playoffs in three of the past four seasons, thanks to their squad that is getting older and more expensive. . Now, a quarter of the 2021-22 season has passed and not much has changed. 

In that case, Fleury would have every right to regard his new environment as the end of the nightmare of his brilliant career and condemn him for being a listless team after unceremoniously exorcizing a market-attractive team. In the last days he helped to build. 

But nothing can disappoint Fleury. He is very unbreakable. This is a man who was booed at home just to return to the fan favorite state, replaced by the only young upstart of the team he knew in the playoffs (he continued to force him out of town), expanding It was revealed in the draft, and finally, a few days after being appointed as the best goalkeeper in the NHL, he was abandoned due to zero tangible assets.

He just likes this game. When everything is said and done, the game will fall in love with him immediately. 

"He was pranking some people," Murphy said with a smile, when asked about his teammate's reputation as a true prank Sinatra. 

"He is so relaxed. He always walks around and talks with people with a smile on his face. No matter what day it is, when we go through a difficult period or losing streak, he can still have that kind of leadership and enthusiasm to be himself ."

This enthusiasm will definitely come in handy in 2021.

The Blackhawks have been one of the dysfunctional hockey teams this season-which just refers to their troubles on the ice-stumbled out of the gate with a 1-9-2 record, which prompted coach Jeremy Cliton And assistant coaches were fired by Sheldon Brookbank and Thomas Mittel. 

For Fleury, this is not a good sign, and the organization persuaded him to move his young family from Nevada to Illinois in the summer, regarding the direction of his new team. 

You uprooted your life and moved all over the country to find a new job. A month later, your boss was fired? Oops. 

But in the darkest (on ice) days of the Blackhawks season, Fleury’s firm presence as a leader came in handy again, helping to ease the transition from the departed Colliton to interim coach Derek King. 

"He has always been great," his veteran hockey player Seguin thought. 

"It can be seen from his performance in Montreal (Thursday) that he can win your hockey game, which is exactly what we need now."

The Blackhawks eventually lost Saturday's game against the Maple Leafs in a heartbreaking way, reducing their record to 10-15-2, ranking seventh in the Central Division, second only to the dying Arizona Coyotes. 

Fleury did not play that night. He watched helplessly from the bench as his Black Hawks handed over 5 goals to an opponent who could beat them with just 26 shots. At the same time, it can be said that they are the best of the year. A terrible game. 

The facts are clear. Fleury is a good veteran, whose contract is about to expire, but happens to be trapped in a bad team. Players who fit into this category usually have a common destiny: trading. 

Whether his team admits it or not, Fleury can be said to be the best trading bargaining chip on the market. He is still a few months away from Vezina’s victory—if you haven’t collected it from the situations mentioned repeatedly above—from a contract point of view, he has no long-term commitments and is currently playing top-tier hockey, despite the previous The shocking lack of support for him. 

Any competing team that has the slightest worries about the net should knock on his door. 

Murphy explained: "You get stuck in your own game, and then you have a chance to score." 

"The pass will pass from the back door, you are sure it is a goal. Then, suddenly, you see his body and arms or legs fly over to make a save. He is very acrobatic. It is great there." 

Fleury's best path forward may involve an out-of-town deal. But even if he does leave and ends his tenure in Chicago less than 12 months, his influence will not be forgotten. 

"He will continue to be a good person worthy of this reputation," Murphy concluded. 

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