"I think it's a great team. They play a great structured game, play well defensively, they're heavy -- I think they're built for playoffs," Fleury said of his new group. "Billy did a great job putting this thing together. And it's not very far from Chicago, too, so I think it'll be easier for my family to visit or visit them through the next months here."
Fleury, playing in the final year of his contract, was hesitant to move just anywhere. Armed with a no-trade clause in his deal, Fleury liked the city he was in, his family was there with him, and the idea of moving just anywhere didn't seem like something he was keen on.
But the presence of Guerin, and the opportunity to chase a fourth Stanley Cup less than an hour plane ride away from his family, was very appealing.
"There's always the chance to win," Fleury said. "I love to compete and to play, the fun of the game, but I don't know. There's not much that beats winning. You can ask anybody who has won: You're always chasing that feeling and that achievement. Yeah, just want to keep doing it again."
Beyond the championships and the Vezina Trophy he won last season as the NHL's top goaltender, the more than 900 games he's played in the league over his career and the 162 games of postseason experience, Fleury will accomplish a career first this season in Minnesota.
Despite moving to his fourth club, he's never been traded midseason, thus, never having needed to grow comfortable with a new set of teammates, coaches, staff and systems that come with a trade.
"We don't have that many games left before playoffs start, so I think things are going to happen quick," Fleury said. "I haven't met the guys yet, so it'll be good to be in the room. We'll be playing pretty soon, so just to say hi to everyone, so hopefully things get moving quickly."
Perhaps the most important relationship he'll need to cultivate will come with the man he'll share the crease with, Monday night's starting netminder Cam Talbot.
But if there were any concerns about how the two veterans might co-mingle, those were quickly put to rest: Talbot was one of the first players to reach out to Fleury to welcome him to the team after the deal was announced.
"I met Cam, I think, at a photo shoot over the summer a few years back. It was great. I don't know him so much, right? But he just seems like a great guy, and I have a lot of respect for him and what he's done obviously," Fleury said. "To me, I don't like the competition between the guys, and I also think we're both part of the team and both want to help, so I think we'll just do whatever we have to do to accomplish that."