Penguins players gush over Marc-Andre Fleury before his likely departure
PITTSBURGH 鈥� When asked if it鈥檚 tough to envision the Penguins locker room without Marc-Andre Fleury, Carl Hagelin replied with a simple 鈥測es.鈥� Hagelin hasn鈥檛 been Fleury鈥檚 teammates for long 鈥� only two years 鈥� but just as anybody who has played with Fleury, the veteran goalie has left a mark on him.
With the expansion draft looming, Fleury鈥檚 Penguins career is almost assuredly done. He acknowledged that, and so did his teammates. That the Vegas Golden Knights decide to pick him isn鈥檛 a foregone conclusion, but if they don鈥檛, his $5.75-million dollar contact is too big to keep when another established goalie in Matt Murray is on the roster. For some, like Sidney Crosby, a longtime friend of Fleury, it鈥檚 hard to imagine playing without him.
鈥淚t鈥檒l be tough,鈥� Crosby said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 even like having to talk about it.
For others, though, they reflected Thursday at locker clean-out day on the times they spent with Fleury, and the impact he left on them. Everybody gave a variation of the same answer: There are few, if any, teammates as good as Fleury.
鈥淗e鈥檚 probably the best teammate you could have. He鈥檚 always positive. He鈥檚 just a great guy in general,鈥� Hagelin said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think you鈥檒l find a better personality in sports when it comes to being a good friend and being a supportive, positive teammate.鈥�
In a roster that has shifted over the years, Fleury has been a constant with the Penguins since he was drafted in 2003. His impact is most tangible in the 437 wins he鈥檚 accumulated, and the numerous key saves he鈥檚 made along the way, but his presence has been key in keeping spirits high and helping bring together the team as the players around him have shifted.
鈥淭here鈥檚 not much you can say about the Flower that isn鈥檛 great. He鈥檚 awesome. He鈥檚 one of the best teammates you could ask for,鈥� Bryan Rust said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 always having a good time, he鈥檚 always welcoming guys, he鈥檚 always playing little pranks, but I think that helps build chemistry. Having a guy like that on your team is special.鈥�
Jake Guentzel is one of those guys Fleury immediately welcomed to the team. Though the rookie didn鈥檛 even play a full season with Fleury, he couldn鈥檛 help by gush about him.
鈥淯nbelievable guy,鈥� Guentzel said. 鈥淗e goes out of his way to talk to you. To see that smile he has everyday, he鈥檚 one of the best guys I ever met because no matter how he鈥檚 doing or what the situation is, he鈥檚 bringing a good attitude with him.鈥�
That positive attitude never waned, even though he saw his playing time this year diminish as Murray overtook him as the top goaltender. In a way, though, that waning playing time made his wins in the playoffs this season even sweeter, because as he put it Thursday, 鈥淚 knew that things were going to change after this season.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 never about him,鈥� forward Matt Cullen said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a pretty unique person and a unique teammate.鈥�
That final act of selflessness perhaps came when he decided to waive his no-movement clause, allowing him to be selected in the expansion draft. Waiving that clause is something Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford said he discussed with Fleury since training camp. Officially, Rutherford said he waived it in January or February, but Fleury told him he鈥檇 work with Rutherford on waiving in before the season began. By doing that, Rutherford said, Fleury took pressure off him, knowing that he wouldn鈥檛 have to seek out trade options.
鈥淥bviously, Matt (Murray is) the guy here and he will be for many years,鈥� Fleury said. 鈥淎nd the salary cap also, I take a big chunk of that, so it couldn鈥檛 work here anymore.鈥�
When asked what Fleury would most miss about Pittsburgh, he said, 鈥渆verything.鈥� He elaborated on that, mentioning how Pittsburgh feels like home to him. For Fleury鈥檚 teammates, they鈥檒l always remember the impact he had here, and the impact he had on them.