For nearly two hours this afternoon, Marc-Andre Fleury was back in his element.
On the ice at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry with a number of his Penguins’ teammates for an informal skate as the team prepares for training camp in the upcoming weeks.
“First day back with the guys, it was fun,” Fleury said. “Got to be out there a little bit, dive around. I was happy to be back.”
With Fleury, that last part wasn’t always a given. After Matt Murray’s emergence during the Penguins’ run to the Stanley Cup last spring, there was plenty of speculation that Fleury could be traded over the summer.
It makes sense. If Fleury is still on the roster next summer, the Penguins would have to leave the 22-year-old Murray unprotected in the Las Vegas expansion draft. Given what Murray showed in last year’s playoffs, that could essentially mean giving away a franchise goalie for the next decade.
For now, though, their plan is to enter the 2016-17 season with both Fleury and Murray on the roster, and Fleury isn’t trying to worry too much beyond that.
“I’m more a day-to-day guy, just go with the flow,” Fleury said. “Try to practice hard, play hard and have fun while doing it. Be a good teammate and see what happens.”
Fleury said he never requested a trade, and felt very much that he went into this offseason on the same page as general Jim Rutherford and the Penguins’ coaching staff.
“I’ve always said this is my home,” Fleury said. “I wish I could play here all my career. I’ll try my best to do good for the team, for the organization and hopefully stick around a long time.”
Fleury does, though, recognize the realities facing Rutherford and the Penguins when it comes to their long-term plan in net.
“I think it’s a tough part of their job,” Fleury said. “At the same time, I think they’re in good shape. Matty playing gives us a chance to win games. Bottom line, that’s what matters: Winning games as a team. It doesn’t matter who’s in the net.”
That last question remains the most pressing as the Penguins prepare for the upcoming season. Fleury, the longest-tenured player on the team, won 35 games during the regular season and was lauded by teammates as the Penguins’ most valuable player. He was a major reason the team stayed afloat during a tumultuous start to the season.
But he sustained a pair of concussions towards the end of the season that opened the door for Murray to shine in the playoffs.
Heading into the coming season, Fleury recognized that a 50/50 split is certainly possible. He pointed out the Penguins have a busy start to the year, with 15 games in the first month, including two back-to-backs.
Still, that doesn’t mean he loves the idea of an even timeshare.
“I’m sure Matty’s in the same boat, too,” Fleury said. “We both like to play games, but if that’s what it is then that’s what it is. You’ve got to deal with it and just try my best when I’m in there.”
At 31, Fleury still has plenty of good years left in him. He also knows that younger players who rise up to claim jobs from veterans is just a reality of playing in the NHL.
“You never know when that’s going to happen, right?” he said. “I’ve been very fortunate to be here for a long time and, even though I’m still young, still want to be here. It’s normal that it happened and you’ve just got to be able to deal with it.”
Sam Werner: swerner@post-gazette.com and Twitter @SWernerPG
First Published: September 15, 2016, 8:32 p.m.
