Marc-Andre Fleury refuses to join Canadian contender ahead of next season

Ahead of the trade deadline, when goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was still a member of the Chicago Blackhawks, he had made it clear to the team that he had no interest in being traded to the Edmonton Oilers. He was moved to the Minnesota Wild at the deadline, and while there is still a chance he could re-sign there for the 2022-23 season, Fleury keeps exploring his options ahead of the opening of free agency in two weeks.

However, he remains against the idea of signing with the Oilers - a team actually looking for a top goalie on the market. Mark Spectors of Sportnet reported it last week in a fan mailbag when asked about Edmonton’s goalie situation with Mike Smith potentially hanging up the pads and Mikko Koskinen leaving for Europe. However, the reporter is certain Fleury won’t be tempted to join the Oilers for a run at the Stanley Cup next season.

"Marc-Andre Fleury , we continue to hear, chooses not to play in Edmonton.”

There is a chance that Flower makes a move to Canada. Earlier this month, Fleury named another NHL destination he’ll considered when he admitted to RDS that that he would consider signing with the Canadiens if there is a chance that Carey Price cannot return.The future is uncertain for Price in Montreal. He missed most of the 2021-22 following a stint in the players’ assistance program due to substance abuse and then the recovery process of his knee injury. He only played five games and was shut down for a few contests before playing the season finale. Price then revealed in his final press conference for 2021-22 that his knee would not allow him to play a full schedule of games and he needed it to get better before making a decision on playing in 2022-23. Since his comments, there have been talks about potential retirement or the Canadien placing him and his $10.5 million cap hit on the long-term injured reserve. Fleury would then consider coming to Montreal.

It would take a lot… but it’d take a whole lot more for him to choose Edmonton! Spector did not talk about the possibility of the Toronto Maple Leafs inquiring about Flower, though it almost sounds impossible to imagine him agreeing to a deal with his childhood team's rivals. Maybe the options in Canada are most limited that fans think...