During this professional sports shutdown, I decided it would be a good time to profile each Golden Knights player. I will look at their skillset and then their overall season. I’m hoping to get each player done before the NHL is back up and running! We here at HockeyBuzz want to keep busy, giving you the hockey fix we all need!
There’s no better player to highlight for the first installment of the 2019-20 Player Profiles than the most enigmatic man on the roster. That man is Marc-Andre Fleury, No. 29 on the roster, No. 1 in your hearts. He is certainly the face of the franchise and thus, we kick off with the masked man.
Coming into the NHL, way back in 2003, Marc-Andre Fleury had quite the pedigree. He was fresh off a silver medal and MVP award in the 2002 World Junior Championships, playing for Hockey Canada. He posted an unreal 1.57 GAA in the tournament, the best mark of any goaltender. There was a ton of buzz behind him due to his athleticism and gamesmanship. Fortunately for Fleury, the Pittsburgh Penguins needed a netminder and took him first overall. He didn’t disappoint, nabbing Rookie of the Month that October.
While he is extremely athletic and a gamer, his biggest strength is his experience. Some may disagree, but the experience he has is unmatched by any other goaltender in the NHL. He jumped straight into the league as a rookie, 17 years ago! That equates to 847 regular season games and 142 playoff appearances. There’s nothing Fleury hasn’t seen. Even generational talents like Connor McDavid must seem somewhat ordinary to a goaltender with Fleury’s extensive background.
Fleury calmly stops the best player in the NHL, Connor McDavid (USA Today Sports)
Biggest Weakness:
That same athleticism that makes Fleury such a uniquely talented goaltender, can often conversely be his biggest weakness. When teams begin to get the best of the Golden Knights’ defense and pin them in their own zone, Fleury can get a little wild. At times, the frenzy can lead to an eye-popping save and in others, it leaves him extremely out of position. The highs are far greater than the lows, but his aggressiveness can put him and the team in compromising positions. For a little light at the end of the tunnel, check out this insane save, which came from that very aggressiveness.
2019-20 Season:
27-16-5, 2.77 GAA (28th NHL), .905 SV% (39th NHL)
Flower’s current season has been a bit of a roller coaster. With an injury early-on, he’s never really gotten into the groove you’d expect out of a man of Fleury’s pedigree. He was the unquestioned number one with Malcolm Subban serving as the clear back-up. The above numbers are not great, even when ranked among all goalies with 20 games played. It’s admittedly been a rough season for the goaltender and now there’s stronger internal competition with Robin Lehner’s trade deadline arrival.
Being a competitor, Fleury welcomed the deal for Lehner, as he was consulted by GM Kelly McCrimmon prior to the move being made. Lehner has been incredible since his arrival, with a perfect 3-0-0 record. If Fleury starts to feel like he’s being unseated, his game will almost assuredly improve. He’s a gamer and has experience in this type of scenario, drawing back to when he was passed up by Matt Murray in Pittsburgh. If this season starts back up, expect Fleury on top of his game, which is a level few can reach.
Fun Inside Fact:
Fleury has the busiest locker stall of all Golden Knights players. Following games and even practices, the media swarms the goalie, due in part to his personality and how open he is. His stall at City National Arena is in the far corner of the room, with the backup's stall on the opposite end of the row, split by a handful of defensemen.
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