Wild acquire Marc-Andre Fleury; Johansson back to Caps
The Minnesota Wild addressed their inconsistent goaltending situation by acquiring Marc-Andre Fleury in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday.
The deal was confirmed by a person with direct knowledge of the deal who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the deal, made hours before the NHL’s trade deadline, had not yet been announced.
The Wild are in the midst of a tightly contested Western Conference playoff race, and began the day third in the Central Division standings. In Fleury, they add a three-time Stanley Cup-winner who, at 36, won his first Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie last year while playing for the Vegas Golden Knights. He was traded to Chicago last offseason.
The playoff-bound Minnesota Wild acquired a second-round pick in the draft this summer from the rebuilding Arizona Coyotes for unsigned prospect Jack McBain, who represented Canada at the Beijing Olympics without NHL players.