The 37-year-old goalie can become an unrestricted free agent after the season. He was acquired by the Wild from the Chicago Blackhawks in a trade on March 21 for a conditional first-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.
"It was such a great time, loved the time [in Minnesota] and everything," Fleury said Monday. "Made it very appealing to play here. Definitely [I'd consider coming back].
"I'm glad I came, I'm glad I got the opportunity to play with this team. Such a great locker room, great chemistry between the guys and the staff, coaches. … Even people around town, when I went to restaurants and stuff, everybody was very welcoming and nice. They love the game, they love their hockey here, so it was good to live this."
On Tuesday, general manager Bill Guerin said the Wild will try to re-sign him this offseason, and will also keep goalie Cam Talbot, who can become an unrestricted free agent after next season.
"We want them both back," Guerin said. "Cam's under contract."
Fleury was 9-2-0 with 2.74 goals-against average and .910 save percentage in 11 regular-season games with the Wild. He was 2-3 with a 3.04 GAA and .906 save percentage in the first five games against the St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference First Round. Talbot replaced him in Game 6, a season-ending 5-1 loss Thursday.
Fleury, who said on April 19 he wants to play at least one more NHL season, said team success and family are the two dictating factors for where he will play.
"[I want to] win some games," he said. "I noticed this season it was hard not being able to win too much, so I think that's a big thing obviously. And then my family, somewhere where they can be safe and where they can enjoy life."
Talbot had been the Wild's No. 1 goalie prior to the trade for Fleury. He was 13-0-3 in his final 16 starts, including going 8-0-3 after Minnesota acquired Fleury. But the Wild started Fleury in Game 1 against the Blues, a move coach Dean Evason called, "an easy decision."
Talbot has one season left on the three-year contract ($3.67 million annual-average value) he signed with the Wild on Oct. 9, 2020.
Guerin said having both goalies on the team next season would not be an issue.
"Guys, I've got to be honest with you, with situations like this, you guys make more of it than we do. It's really not that big of a deal," Guerin said. "There's no controversy, there's no drama. We like both goalies, we like both people. We want them both back and we think we can be successful with both of them. And, I mean, that's just it."
On Monday, Talbot said he understood the decision to start Fleury in the playoffs.
"Obviously I was disappointed I didn't get to play more in the playoffs, but who's not?" Talbot said Monday. "We're competitors. You want to play. Like I said the other day, was I disappointed? Obviously. Probably a little [mad]? Yeah. But the coaches had a decision to make and I don't think there was a wrong decision.
"Obviously you trade for a guy like [Fleury] with his pedigree and his past, why wouldn't you start him Game 1? Obviously, I wanted to play. But I understood their decision and where they were coming from."
Fleury, who is in the final season of a three-year contract ($7 million annual-average value) he signed with the Vegas Golden Knights on July 13, 2018, is a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins (2009, 2016, 2017) and helped the Vegas Golden Knights reach the Final in 2018, their inaugural season. His 92 playoff wins are third in NHL history, behind Patrick Roy (151) and Martin Brodeur (113).
The Vezina Trophy winner last season as the best goalie in the NHL, Fleury became the third goalie in history to win 500 NHL games with a 2-0 Blackhawks victory against the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 9. His 520 wins with the Wild, Blackhawks, Golden Knights and Penguins are third all-time behind Brodeur (691) and Roy (551).
