Marc-Andre Fleury might be tempted to join this one NHL team with unique offer

Earlier this month, Marc-Andre Fleury’s agent Allan Walsh revealed on his podcast that some teams in the NHL reached out to him on opening day of free agency to attempt to convince Fleury to come out of retirement.

“On July 1, I got called by five teams asking if there was any way Marc-André Fleury would un-retire.”

Walsh did reiterate that Fleury, for now, has no intention to returning to the game after hanging up the pads after this past season, but one insider believes that one specific team in the league could be the one who manages to convince Flower to return for one more season in between the pipes.

The goalie market is scarce and the Edmonton Oilers need to improve their netminder situation ahead of the 2025-26, especially as they attempt to convince captain Connor McDavid to re-sign long-term before he could hit free agency on July 1st, 2026. Allan Mitchell of the Athletic has just explained how Fleury is the most attractive name amongst goaltenders and that the Oilers “should revisit the idea closer to training camp” “no matter the current situation.”

“For the Oilers, a Fleury signing would check a lot of boxes. Starter Stuart Skinner would instantly have a goalie partner with pristine bona fides, a hockey lifetime of experience to draw on, and a clear exit path to retirement. The conflict in such an arrangement would be minimal. Skinner would start a large number of games (the Oilers will make the playoffs even if Skinner returns with partner Calvin Pickard), with postseason appearances awarded on merit. If Fleury earns the net, who could possibly criticize a future first-ballot Hall of Famer?”

Mitchell adds: “Fleury is retired, and attempts to change his mind have thus far been unsuccessful. For the Oilers, Fleury offers a unique opportunity and is worth pursuing even if the younger Bowman is turned down every time. There are no real alternatives, considering the cap issues and lack of assets to trade for an upgrade.

“Fleury to the Oilers is the best available move for Bowman this summer. His 2024-25 save percentage (five-on-five) was .913, a competitive number for any goalie.”

Mitchell is right. The Oilers could be the only successful team in tempting Fleury to come back for one more season since they’ve proven they are so close to winning a Stanley Cup, one that Flower would most likely like to add, with the three he won with the Pittsburgh Penguins, to his illustrious career.

“Fleury is an all-time legend, and the Oilers are a team in search of glory. It’s a perfect fit,” concludes Mitchell.

But for now, it sounds too much like a fairytale.