Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...

Vegas takes Fleury off market, cites schedule

Written by 
Published in Hockey
Monday, 12 October 2020 21:51

The Vegas Golden Knights are no longer looking to trade star goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, general manager Kelly McCrimmon said Monday.

"We see the goaltending position being incredibly important this year. Our goalies will be Robin [Lehner] and Marc-Andre. We all expect a schedule [next season] that's going to be very compressed. The importance of two goaltenders is really going to be valuable," McCrimmon said during a news conference announcing the signing of star free-agent defenseman Alex Pietrangelo.

Fleury has two years left on his contract with the Knights, with a salary-cap hit of $7 million. He has a limited no-trade clause.

Sources told ESPN that Vegas was seeking to move Fleury, engaging with NHL clubs to potentially pick up a portion of his contract in a three-team deal. But given the flat salary cap of $81.5 million, internal caps on spending due to the impact of COVID-19 on the NHL, and the volume of goaltender movement during the free-agent signing period, the market for such a trade shifted in the weeks following the end of the season.

Instead of moving Fleury's contract, the team traded defenseman Nate Schmidt, an original Golden Knight, to the Vancouver Canucks to open up cap space for Pietrangelo's $8.8 million average annual value. Schmidt makes $5.95 million against the cap and is signed through 2025.

Lehner signed a five-year, $25 million contract extension after the Dallas Stars eliminated the Knights in the Western Conference finals. McCrimmon said Lehner underwent minor "clean up" shoulder surgery this week but is expected to be back for training camp. The NHL is currently targeting Jan. 1 as the start date for next season.

After the season, McCrimmon said that settling the team's goaltending situation was the team's top priority. When Lehner was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks at the trade deadline, the team said he would serve in support of Fleury, the team's starting goaltender. But Lehner ended up starting 16 of the Knights' 18 postseason games, posting a .917 save percentage and a 1.99 goals-against average.

The situation prompted Fleury's agent, Allan Walsh, to protest on social media, posting an image depicting his client being impaled in the back by a sword with Vegas coach Peter DeBoer's name on it.

McCrimmon said any presumption of tension or acrimony between management and Fleury, 35, is misguided.

"With respect to repairing that relationship, I don't see any issue that way at all. I don't think it was ever what was reported or assumed. Whatever different theories that were out there, I don't think internally it was ever the issue it was made out to be, and I don't expect it will be an issue going into next season," he said. "Believe me: If it was, we would have made different decisions than we made."

The Knights' current cap figure is around $82.5 million. McCrimmon said they will be cap-compliant when the season starts.

Read 535 times

Soccer

Ratcliffe backs Amorim, at United 'for a long time'

Ratcliffe backs Amorim, at United 'for a long time'

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsManchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has given his backing...

Fernandes: Utd want to recreate Sporting success

Fernandes: Utd want to recreate Sporting success

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsManchester United are still believing that coach Ruben Amorim will...

Man United's new stadium: What the 100,000-seater will look like

Man United's new stadium: What the 100,000-seater will look like

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsManchester United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has announced pl...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Jokic, playing his 'best basketball,' fuels win

Jokic, playing his 'best basketball,' fuels win

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsOKLAHOMA CITY -- If Nikola Jokic wanted to campaign for MVP votes,...

Redick riled up as limping Lakers fall to Nets

Redick riled up as limping Lakers fall to Nets

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNEW YORK -- A visibly perturbed Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick...

Baseball

Ex-slugger Vaughn admits HGH use late in career

Ex-slugger Vaughn admits HGH use late in career

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsFormer big league slugger Mo Vaughn has confirmed he used human gro...

Yamamoto gem, Ohtani laser 2B fuel Dodgers' win

Yamamoto gem, Ohtani laser 2B fuel Dodgers' win

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsGLENDALE, Ariz. -- Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out seven over five im...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated