The soon-to-be Hall of Fame goaltender, Marc-Andre Fleury, had a wonderful career and an emotional farewell tour last year with the Minnesota Wild. Wherever Fleury went, he was treated like a King, in what would be his final appearance at every visiting arena. The Utah Mammoth and many other NHL teams should be on top of his retirement status this summer with his agent, Allan Walsh, confirming on a podcast from SDPN, teams have reached out on July 1st.
Fleury's 21-year career finished with 4 seasons in Minnesota, where he began transitioning into a backup goalie, playing 26 games. Averaging over 40 games played a season, Fleury provided stability and character in the locker room.
The Mammoth addressed the crease at the opening of free agency when they signed Vitek Vanecek to a one-year, $1.5 million contract. The uncertainty of Connor Ingram forced Bill Armstrong to strengthen the depth. Fleury would be an upgrade over Vanecek in many areas, including his experience.
Karel Vejmelka has shown flashes of being a solid starting goaltender in this league, but if this team has aspirations of making the playoffs and going deep, they must have consistency in the net. Vejmelka's performance has changed from year to year, and having a presence like Fleury to guide him would make Vejmelka better, while Fleury could handle some of the weight.
The importance of goaltending in a playoff race is enormous, and whether it is Fleury or Vanecek, Utah will be looking to improve or solidify the position all year. Beginning dialogue now with Fleury and his people will allow the Mammoth to be at the front of the line if Fleury misses playing enough as the season progresses.
When Armstrong made the trade for JJ Peterka, it put the players in the locker room and the rest of the league on notice that this team will be a serious contender for the playoffs. The youth on this team makes the ceiling well beyond the playoffs.