Fleury_MIN

Marc-Andre Fleury signed a two-year, $7 million contract to remain with the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. It has an average annual value of $3.5 million.

The 37-year-old goalie, who could have become an unrestricted free agent July 13, had been acquired by the Wild in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on March 21 for a second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.
Fleury was 28-23-5 with a 2.90 goals-against average and .906 save percentage in 56 regular-season games this season, including 9-2-0 with a 2.74 GAA and .910 save percentage in 11 starts after the trade. He was 2-3 with a 3.04 GAA and .906 save percentage in five Stanley Cup Playoff games.
"It was the first time in my career I was a free agent," Fleury said Friday. "I'm glad that we came to an agreement pretty quickly. I like the team. I like the guys in the locker room. The coaches, the staff. The welcome I got from the fans. It's a great place to keep raising my family, my kids. It really checked the boxes for me. It's a good team. I think we can still win some games. That's very important to me, so I'm looking forward to that."
Selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins with the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NHL Draft, Fleury is 520-299-85 with two ties, a 2.57 GAA, .913 save percentage and 71 shutouts in 939 games (914 starts) for the Penguins, Vegas Golden Knights, Blackhawks and Wild. He ranks third in NHL history in wins, behind Martin Brodeur (691) and Patrick Roy (551), and is tied for 12th in shutouts.
He won the Vezina Trophy voted as the best goalie in the NHL in 2020-21.
Fleury is also 92-73 with a 2.54 GAA, .912 save percentage and 16 shutouts in 167 playoff games (165 starts), including winning the Stanley Cup three times with Pittsburgh (2009, 2016, 2017).
"I feel like I go into every season we are looking to make the playoffs, obviously, and go from there," Fleury said. "But it's a long way to get there. I think I have to go one game at a time. I don't want to think too far ahead besides to win. Win one game and keep it going from there. I don't think it's a good thing to look too far ahead, but definitely our goal is to make it to the end."
Cam Talbot, who was the Wild's No. 1 goalie prior to the trade for Fleury, has one season remaining on a three-year, $11 million contract he signed with Minnesota on Oct. 9, 2020.
"I think both me and Cam will play," Fleury said. "I think it will be very similar to last season. Both of us will play, and I think that's something will make us good too, right. Because every night, we'll have our fresh goalie in net, and a guy that can win games. And we'll help each other, push each other, I think it will be good for the team.
"It's good for me. I get along great with Cam. He's a good goalie and a good person. Sometimes it's a little easier on the body too, I'm getting older so those rests in the season helps stay healthy and stay fresh when you're playing."
Talbot finished the regular season 8-0-3 after Fleury was acquired, and although Fleury started the first five games of the series against the Blues, Talbot replaced him in Game 6, when Minnesota was eliminated with a 5-1 loss.
"Cam has been nothing but supportive and spectacular through this whole thing," Minnesota general manager Bill Guerin said. "He is a pro. But, hey look, you can't take guys like Cam Talbot for granted and assume that he is going to be fine and everything like that just because he says he is. We want to make sure he is fine.
"Both of them are a little older, but they both keep themselves in peak, peak shape, so I'm not concerned about years or longevity or health or anything like that. These two guys are just two professionals that take care of themselves. You get smarter and more efficient as you get older. Like I said, they keep themselves in great shape. Every night we're putting a top-end goalie in the net. I think that's a luxury."
NHL.com independent correspondent Jessi Pierce contributed to this report