Wild back as frontrunners to land Marc-Andre Fleury

Well, the Minnesota Wild are getting business done before the 2022 NHL Draft starts tonight.

According to a report from TSN’s Bob McKenzie, a.k.a. Bobby Margarita, the Wild are back in the lead for the legendary goaltender.

Details continue to come through about Fleury potentially signing a deal, but after conflicting reports of a signing this morning from Kevin Weekes and Darren Dreger, nothing has been finalized yet.

These reports come just hours after GM Bill Guerin secured defenseman Jake Middleton to a three-year deal, solidifying the blue line.

Fleury went 9-2-0 in 11 appearances with Minnesota, registering a 2.74 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. He put up solid numbers with an awful Chicago Blackhawks team, where he spent most of the year before being traded at the deadline for a conditional second-round pick in this year’s draft.

The Wild still have Cam Talbot in one of their goalie slots, but adding a former Vezina winner that’s still performing well to a short-term and cheaper deal would be perfect for a team in a cap crunch. There’s time for anything to happen, but it’s encouraging to see that the Wild have retaken the lead as suitors for the future hall of famer.