Penguins players gush over Marc-Andre Fleury before his likely departure
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� When asked if it无毛视频檚 tough to envision the Penguins locker room without Marc-Andre Fleury, Carl Hagelin replied with a simple 无毛视频測es.无毛视频� Hagelin hasn无毛视频檛 been Fleury无毛视频檚 teammates for long 无毛视频� only two years 无毛视频� but just as anybody who has played with Fleury, the veteran goalie has left a mark on him.
With the expansion draft looming, Fleury无毛视频檚 Penguins career is almost assuredly done. He acknowledged that, and so did his teammates. That the Vegas Golden Knights decide to pick him isn无毛视频檛 a foregone conclusion, but if they don无毛视频檛, his $5.75-million dollar contact is too big to keep when another established goalie in Matt Murray is on the roster. For some, like Sidney Crosby, a longtime friend of Fleury, it无毛视频檚 hard to imagine playing without him.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檒l be tough,无毛视频� Crosby said. 无毛视频淚 don无毛视频檛 even like having to talk about it.
For others, though, they reflected Thursday at locker clean-out day on the times they spent with Fleury, and the impact he left on them. Everybody gave a variation of the same answer: There are few, if any, teammates as good as Fleury.
无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 probably the best teammate you could have. He无毛视频檚 always positive. He无毛视频檚 just a great guy in general,无毛视频� Hagelin said. 无毛视频淚 don无毛视频檛 think you无毛视频檒l find a better personality in sports when it comes to being a good friend and being a supportive, positive teammate.无毛视频�
In a roster that has shifted over the years, Fleury has been a constant with the Penguins since he was drafted in 2003. His impact is most tangible in the 437 wins he无毛视频檚 accumulated, and the numerous key saves he无毛视频檚 made along the way, but his presence has been key in keeping spirits high and helping bring together the team as the players around him have shifted.
无毛视频淭here无毛视频檚 not much you can say about the Flower that isn无毛视频檛 great. He无毛视频檚 awesome. He无毛视频檚 one of the best teammates you could ask for,无毛视频� Bryan Rust said. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 always having a good time, he无毛视频檚 always welcoming guys, he无毛视频檚 always playing little pranks, but I think that helps build chemistry. Having a guy like that on your team is special.无毛视频�
Jake Guentzel is one of those guys Fleury immediately welcomed to the team. Though the rookie didn无毛视频檛 even play a full season with Fleury, he couldn无毛视频檛 help by gush about him.
无毛视频淯nbelievable guy,无毛视频� Guentzel said. 无毛视频淗e goes out of his way to talk to you. To see that smile he has everyday, he无毛视频檚 one of the best guys I ever met because no matter how he无毛视频檚 doing or what the situation is, he无毛视频檚 bringing a good attitude with him.无毛视频�
That positive attitude never waned, even though he saw his playing time this year diminish as Murray overtook him as the top goaltender. In a way, though, that waning playing time made his wins in the playoffs this season even sweeter, because as he put it Thursday, 无毛视频淚 knew that things were going to change after this season.无毛视频�
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 never about him,无毛视频� forward Matt Cullen said. 无毛视频淗e无毛视频檚 a pretty unique person and a unique teammate.无毛视频�
That final act of selflessness perhaps came when he decided to waive his no-movement clause, allowing him to be selected in the expansion draft. Waiving that clause is something Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford said he discussed with Fleury since training camp. Officially, Rutherford said he waived it in January or February, but Fleury told him he无毛视频檇 work with Rutherford on waiving in before the season began. By doing that, Rutherford said, Fleury took pressure off him, knowing that he wouldn无毛视频檛 have to seek out trade options.
无毛视频淥bviously, Matt (Murray is) the guy here and he will be for many years,无毛视频� Fleury said. 无毛视频淎nd the salary cap also, I take a big chunk of that, so it couldn无毛视频檛 work here anymore.无毛视频�
When asked what Fleury would most miss about Pittsburgh, he said, 无毛视频渆verything.无毛视频� He elaborated on that, mentioning how Pittsburgh feels like home to him. For Fleury无毛视频檚 teammates, they无毛视频檒l always remember the impact he had here, and the impact he had on them.