Fleury, Pens GM keeping lines of communication open ahead of trade deadline

PITTSBURGH – Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan wasn’t prepared to announce his starting goalie after Friday’s practice for their Stadium Series game against the Philadelphia Flyers at Heinz Field. He’ll reveal his decision Saturday morning, and while some would like to see him give a sentimental nod to Marc-Andre Fleury, he’s not thinking that way.

“It’s my responsibility first and foremost to try and win hockey games,” Sullivan said after Friday’s skate. “Having said that, we’re very appreciative of what players have brought to this team and their body of work. We try to take everything into consideration when we make these types of personnel decisions. They’re not easy ones by any stretch. But at the end of the day, the way I look at it it’s my responsibility to the Penguins and this group to try to make the best decisions to help our team win a hockey game.”

[Follow Puck Daddy on social media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Tumblr]

The NHL trade deadline is coming up at 3 p.m. ET on Wednesday and Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford and Fleury will have to have a conversation in the coming days about the goaltender’s future. With Matt Murray’s emergence last year in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it’s clear that Fleury’s time in Pittsburgh is coming to an end. It’s just a matter of when he officially moves on.

Rutherford could move him by Wednesday or hang on to Fleury for the rest of this season, which is what he prefers. But there are teams who have goaltending needs and one phone call could change everything. Fleury does own a limited no-move and no-trade clause in his contract, which he can list 18 teams he’s fine with being traded to if he decides to waive it.

If Fleury sticks with the Penguins beyond Wednesday, then a decision will have to be made after the season. Teams can only protect one goaltender for June’s expansion draft and Fleury would have to waive his no-move clause in order to be exposed or else Murray would be the one available to be selected by the Vegas Golden Knights.

Should Fleury no waive it, Rutherford could buy out the final two years of his deal, making him an unrestricted free agent.

“I’m looking forward to see what [Rutherford] has to say and what he thinks,” said Fleury. “See what way the team wants to go and we’ll go from there.”

Rutherford was on NHL Network Friday and said that at that time no offers had come his way for Fleury. He has received calls this season just inquiring about the 32-year-old goaltender, but no team has put a package together. That could change over the next four days as clubs make final decisions on the direction they want to go in heading into the playoffs and off-season.

In the end, as much as Rutherford would like to do right by the team’s longest-tenured player and a goaltender who led them to a title in 2009, he has to do what’s best for his team as they find themselves agains chasing a Stanley Cup this spring.

[Join a Yahoo Daily Fantasy Hockey contest now]

“I think the biggest thing that I have to look at now, aside from the fact that I would prefer to keep both goalies right through the end of the regular season and sort it out in the off-season, is what Marc-Andre Fleury’s thinking,” Rutherford said. “He was really good last year with accepting his role in a tough situation for a guy that was a No. 1 goalie for a long time, and then he’s back to that same role this year. He’s handled it real well, but based no my conversation with him here in the last day or so it’s very clear to me he would like to get playing.

“We’re gonna communicate right up to the deadline and that decision will be made probably within the 48 hours leading up to the deadline, what’s best for him and what’s best for the Penguins.”

– – – – – – –

Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Sean_Leahy

MORE FROM YAHOO HOCKEY: