TSN analyst Jamie McLennan recently stated that the Boston Bruins could be a dark horse in the Marc-Andre Fleury sweepstakes. He noted Tuukka Rask’s sudden retirement may spark them to look for another goaltender, and there isn’t a better one currently available than the reigning Vezina Trophy winner. Although it would be fantastic to see the future Hockey Hall of Famer on the team in theory, I believe that he shouldn’t be one of their trade targets.
That is not to say that Fleury wouldn’t be a very good addition for the Bruins. After a very poor start to the season, Fleury has since bounced back well. In 36 appearances, he has a 16-17-3 record, 2.88 goals-against average (GAA), and .910 save percentage (SV%). He would provide them with more reliability in goal, but when looking at their current roster, that isn’t their biggest need. Thus, now doesn’t feel like the right time to acquire him. Let’s discuss each reason why.
Bruins Have Other Needs to Address
The Bruins have been linked to several different centers, and it is not hard to comprehend why. After losing David Krejci this past summer, they still haven’t found an acceptable replacement. Although Erik Haula has worked well between Taylor Hall and David Pastrnak, an upgrade is needed if they hope to go a deep playoff run this spring. Thus, big-name players like J.T. Miller, Tomas Hertl, and Claude Giroux make more sense to target than Fleury.
The Bruins do not possess the strongest depth at right wing, either. Although Pastrnak is once again playing at an elite level, their scoring at that position after him drops off dramatically. Although nobody can question Craig Smith’s effort, he also only has six goals and 10 assists in 41 contests. With totals like these, it is fair to argue that he may be better suited for the third line. Other wingers like Nick Foligno, Curtis Lazar, and Oskar Steen also aren’t answers for the top six. Thus, right wing is another position they should focus on far more than goaltending.
The Bruins should also be looking to acquire a top-four, left-handed defenseman far more than another goaltender. Although the Bruins are high in quantity on the left side of their defensive core, the quality of it is highly questionable. If the opportunity to acquire a long-term partner for Charlie McAvoy presents itself, it would make much more sense to focus on that than adding Fleury.
Fleury is Very Expensive
Fleury currently has a very expensive $7 million cap hit. There’s no question that he has earned it, but that’s just a bit too much for the Bruins to take on right now. If they didn’t have so many other needs on their roster, his cap hit would be less of a red flag. However, acquiring Fleury would restrict the Bruins from making upgrades at positions where they need assistance. Like I stated above, they need a left-handed defenseman, second-line center, and another top-six right winger far more than another starting goaltender. Furthermore, one also has to remember that Rask only had a $1 million cap hit after he signed by the team. That’s significantly cheaper, so it made sense for them to bring him back at the time.
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One could present the argument that it would be easier to afford Fleury if the Blackhawks retained half his salary in a hypothetical swap. Although that certainly would be beneficial for the Bruins, there’s no guarantee that Chicago would do this. Having a goaltender of his caliber at a $3.5 million cap hit would be fantastic, but it still would make it challenging for the Bruins to make other additions. Again, if they acquire one notable player before the trade deadline passes, it absolutely shouldn’t be a starting goaltender. If they had a more complete roster, however, it would be an idea worth exploring.
Jeremy Swayman Has Earned Permanent Spot With Bruins
With the way Jeremy Swayman is currently playing, it’s hard to make a case to send him back to the American Hockey League (AHL). Over his last two starts, he saved 63 out of 64 shots and has been excellent. Furthermore, he has been extremely solid all season, as he has a 9-7-3 record, 2.15 GAA, and .923 SV%. With the 23-year-old rookie playing so well, it only provides another reason why the Bruins should not bring in Fleury right now.
Linus Ullmark has recently had moments of inconsistency, while Swayman has been thriving. It would be deflating to send the kid back down to Providence during his great stretch. He’s undoubtedly been the better goaltender as of late, too.
With Rask having to retire, it’s easy to understand why McLennan brought up the possibility of the Bruins adding Fleury. However, Swayman has made this sad news a little easier to accept due to his excellent play. Thus, in my opinion, he’s the goalie to run with from here.
Bruins Should Consider Adding Depth Goaltender
I’m not completely against the possibility of the Bruins adding another goaltender before the deadline passes, however. After Swayman and Ullmark, they have Troy Grosenick as their primary call-up option from the Providence Bruins. The 32-year-old has just four games of NHL experience, where he sports a 2-2-0 record, 2.27 GAA, and .933 SV%. Those certainly are solid numbers, but it wouldn’t hurt Boston to acquire another depth goalie who has a decent chunk of NHL experience. Fleury is far too good of a goaltender to fill this specific role for the team, of course.
There are plenty of goaltenders in the AHL who played in the NHL not too long ago. For example, we just saw the Montreal Canadiens acquire Andrew Hammond from the Minnesota Wild earlier this month. It wouldn’t be too crazy for the Bruins to do something similar to this as we inch closer to the deadline. They could even consider claiming a cheap goaltender off waivers if the opportunity presents itself, too. Yet, they also would have to place him on waivers before he’d be able to join Providence.
Alas, although the idea of Fleury with the Bruins is a very fun one to think about, it doesn’t seem like the correct time to make this move. If the team had less urgent needs to address, it could have been something exciting to explore. However, as it stands now, finishing the season with Swayman and Ullmark as their tandem is the only way to go. Yet, if the latter didn’t have a no-movement clause, perhaps I’d be singing a different tune on the subject.
Michael DeRosa is a contributor who covers the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks for The Hockey Writers. Since 2017, he’s written and edited for numerous websites. Besides his work for THW, you can also find him on NHLTradeRumors.me, BBallRumors.com, BaseballRumors.me, FootballRumors.me and The Rat Trick.