Official update on the Marc-Andre Fleury trade rumors from the Pens GM himself!

Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford is well aware of the rumors surrounding his veteran goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, and he took the time to address them this week in a conversation with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Interestingly after admitting earlier in the season that his two-goalie system wasn't working out as he had hoped, Rutherford this time around seem much more hesitant to indicate that a move had to be made.

“The one thing I'll have to watch for and keep the lines of communication open with the player is, is he OK with the situation that he's in?” Rutherford said. “Going back to last year and to this point in time, he has handled it like a true pro. No issues at all. It may play out that we may be able to go right through having two top goalies on our team. We just have to keep an eye on what direction Marc wants to go here in the next few weeks.”

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There may be a combination of factors influencing Rutherford's response, there have been rumblings Fleury is frustrated with his current situation and with a 12-team no-trade clause he does in many ways control his own fate. There have also been reports this week that the market for both Fleury and Tampa Bay Lightning veteran Ben Bishop hasn't been what either team was hoping it would be.

While most still expect that Fleury will be dealt before the deadline, these latest comments from Rutherford certainly seem to leave open the possibility that Fleury could very well still be a Penguin after March 1st.