Dallas Stars Chances Of Hunting Down Marc-Andre Fleury

The Dallas Stars could potentially benefit from some new veteran blood in the goalie lineup. That being said, could they begin pursuing a new goaltender?

Once the NHL offseason rolls around, it seems as though people lose their touch with logic. It’s completely understandable, considering the fans are simply speculating on how their team could improve its roster.

People tend to lose their grip on reality and begin making some of the most absurd ideas and hypotheses. 95 percent of them usually stay submerged, but a few of them do end up coming true. It’s all a matter of how desperate certain teams are and how willing they are to give up their superstars at a set price.

But the 2016 offseason is one of a kind. Some of the league’s biggest names have already been traded over the past two weeks, including Brian Elliott, Andrew Shaw, Alex Goligoski, and Keith Yandle. On top of that, there are plenty of rumors swirling around that could very well end up coming true.

Why the quick change? Well, the recent news of a new hockey franchise being established in Las Vegas in 2017 and an expansion draft accompanying it has teams in a frenzy. The basic theory is that with only a certain number of players being able to be protected by each team, why not dish out the ones that have no shot at security and grab something significant in return instead of losing them for nothing?

One of the biggest advocates to this theory is the Tampa Bay Lightning, especially with their goaltender Ben Bishop. After 195 strong performances with the Bolts over four seasons, the Lightning are looking towards the future with their skilled and young goalies.

That could spell certain potential for the Dallas Stars, as the club has been highly invested in trade talks with the Lightning over the past few weeks. The Stars had a stable goaltending scenario this year that sort of discombobulated as the season wore on. By the playoffs, it was not a pleasant sight.

The duo of Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi picked up 25 wins each this year and helped carry the Stars to the top of the Western Conference. They have the potential to make next year even more special, but a good majority of fans are already jumping ship on the idea and calling for change.

Enter Bishop. While the Dallas Stars have seemingly been trying to negotiate a deal for Bishop over the last 13 days or so, nothing seems to be working, at least as of yet. That being said, there is suspicion to believe that the Stars are out of the Bishop sweepstakes. The Bolts could very well be planning to use him next season as a valuable goalie considering the Stanley Cup trumps all strategies.

If that really is the case, what is Dallas going to do? The next most likely option is that the Stars stick with their two current goaltenders, which is what they could potentially be planning to do already.

But what about Marc-Andre Fleury? The veteran goaltender for the Pittsburgh Penguins has been on the block for a while. Ever since rookie Matt Murray took the Pens’ crease by storm and won 16 games on his way to a Stanley Cup this past season, Fleury’s name has drifted to the No. 2 goalie position.

In a recent Dallas Stars chat hosted by Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News, someone asked a question about the Stars possibly pursuing the goalie.

It’s clear that Fleury’s numbers in the regular season excel those of Niemi or Lehtonen over the past few seasons. Just this past year, he posted a 35-17-6 record with a .921 save percentage and a 2.29 goals against average. He is only 31 and still has plenty more to offer any club. But what about in the Stanley Cup Playoffs? That is where the Stars need the most help after all.

Over his past seven trips to the postseason, Fleury’s save percentage has only surpassed .900 twice. His goals against average has only bee below 3.00 on four of the seven occasions. In other words, he is not the most consistent playoff goalie. Back in his prime, definitely. But the only reason he lifted the Stanley Cup this year is because of Matt Murray’s heroics.

Now, I know what most of you are thinking. You are probably remembering a recent report from John Shannon of Sportsnet that came out on the second day of the NHL Draft. See the tweet below for more.

Does that mean that we have yet another dead end? Well, not necessarily. Remember: a reporter’s word is only as good as what the GM says. And we all know that GM’s say some crazy things.

But in the end, do the Stars need Fleury? Sure he still seems to be a rock-solid goalie in the regular season. But once the postseason comes around, things get a bit rough.

must read: Stars Hunting Bishop Could Be A Lost Cause At This Point

Not to mention that the Stars would have to give up some significant pieces in return. Fleury was being shopped both leading up to and at the draft, but was never dealt. It seemed that the Calgary Flames were the top bidder, but things did not work out. That being said, it’s clear that Dallas would have had to dig deep in their back pocket to meet the payment.

On the other hand, the Dallas Stars will be entering their second season of commission with the two-headed Finnish monster. Now that both have endured a season of adjustment to the new strategy, Stars fans could see a massive increase in production. That is yet to be determined, but there is plenty of reason to be hopeful.

So all in all, Fleury is 99 percent a no-go, at least for Dallas at the current moment. Bishop is not looking too likely either, though Stars general manager Jim Nill knows how to put together a steal of a deal. There are endless possibilities at this point.

Next: Stars Could Be Aiming To Do Something Huge This Offseason

But if logic teaches us anything, it is that we should never get our hopes up too high in the clouds. They might get lost. Keep your eyes peeled and your ears open, though. Remember that this is the offseason, and anything can happen, even when you least expect it.