As the NHL postseason continues and the Minnesota Wild’s offseason does as well, it’s time for another grade report. Our first report was on Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson, who struggled this past season. It’s time to talk about his tandem partner, Marc-André Fleury, who shared the net much more than planned this season.
Everyone knows how strong goaltender Fleury is, and while he had his off moments this season, he did well overall. He stepped in when Gustavsson was struggling, and despite the Wild missing the playoffs, which caused him to miss the postseason for the first time in 17 seasons, he kept a great attitude.
Fleury is known for his play and leadership, which showed this season. Since the Wild did not make the postseason this season, we’ll look at a bad part of his game and a good part and finish with his overall grade. We’ll start with where he struggled, and like Gustavsson, that was playing consistently.
Fleury Also Struggled with Consistency
It was hard to pick anything wrong about Fleury’s game because he did step up when needed, but like Gustavsson, he struggled with consistency. He had a few stints throughout the season where he was able to put together a couple of wins in a row, and while he did win four in a row once, it was a lot of ups and downs.
Sometimes, he struggled and couldn’t pull himself out of it. He wasn’t the main reason the Wild didn’t have a strong season, but he couldn’t carry them either. He’s still able to play like he’s in his early 20s, but he won’t be able to do that forever, and although he’s a pristine athlete who takes great care of himself, he’s been lucky, too.
He showed a bit of his age this season as he struggled more to put wins together, and as he struggled, the team did, too. Hopefully, he can find his key to consistent play next season, as the Wild plans to keep him around, and they could use his strong play to get those wins.
Fleury’s Still Got It
While Fleury struggled to stay consistent, he played well when he did. It was mentioned before, but he plays like someone half his age when his game is on. He can make sprawling saves and do things 40-year-old goaltenders shouldn’t be able to do. Fleury made a name for himself early in his career by making big windmill glove and equally big kick saves, which he can still do occasionally.
When he’s on his game, he can motivate his entire team. The biggest part of his game isn’t necessarily his play, either; it’s his leadership. Whether they’re winning or losing, he always tries to have a smile on his face and keep things moving positively. However, he holds himself and his team accountable when needed, mostly himself. Most great players always blame themselves before they blame their team.
That alone is what is great about Fleury’s game. When his game is on, it’s great, but his leadership qualities are what the team needs in and out. It also didn’t hurt that he hit a few milestones this season, like moving into second all-time amongst NHL goaltenders in wins with 552, plus a few others. Hopefully, in what appears to be his final season, he can teach some of his teammates how to embrace that leadership for the future when he’s no longer on the team.
Fleury’s Grade
Again, there’s no postseason so this grade will be based on the entire regular season. His grade will be better than Gustavsson’s because while he didn’t have a great season, he was slightly better, but still not what was expected. Fleury’s play this season earned him a C+. While that may seem harsh because he can still play outstandingly, he was average most of the time. He still has great play, but the Wild needed it more than they got it.
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If that may seem high, he did have a better season than Gustavsson, who was supposed to be their number one. Fleury stepped in multiple times throughout the season and did what needed to be done so he earned a slightly higher grade than his goaltending partner and hit some big milestones. They both struggled, but unfortunately for Gustavsson, he had more trouble than Fleury.
Missing the playoffs with the talent they had shouldn’t have happened, and the blame is on everyone’s shoulders, some more than others. Hopefully, this next season will get Fleury back to the postseason where he belongs, and he can end his career on a high note.
