Is Fleury a Fit?

There isn’t much Marc-Andre Fleury hasn’t seen or done during an 18-season career that will one day end in the Hall of Fame but changing teams in-season is on that short list.

That probably explains the nerves Fleury admitted to feeling after being traded by the Chicago Blackhawks to the Minnesota Wild prior to the NHL Trade Deadline on March 21 in exchange for a conditional first round pick. Fleury knows there will be adjustments getting comfortable behind a new team, and he only has five weeks to make them before the playoffs start.

“It is a little bit (nerve racking),” Fleury admitted that day. “Just to get comfortable again and with not that many games left before playoffs start. Things got to happen quick.”

To shed a better light on some of the specific adjustments Fleury faces getting comfortable in short order, InGoal Magazine reached out to three goalies who have lived them: Eric Comrie of the Winnipeg Jets and recently retired goalies Ryan Miller and Mike McKenna. The trio shared thoughts on adjusting to a new system and the tendencies of new teammates, especially defensemen, and we examined whether the types of scoring chances the Wild surrender fit Fleury’s strengths, but all three agreed the biggest factor is not trying to do too much.