Coach King talks about the possibility of losing Fleury, who could take over for the Hawks in goal
It's not too often where you'll find a coach who is willing to speak candidly on the idea of losing a member of their team whom they are really fond of. That's why, when Chicago Blackhawks coach Derek King was asked to picture what his team looks like without Fleury going forward, his response caught a lot of people off guard.
King didn't just brush off the question or give a generic, punctuated response - he actually opened up and shared his genuine feelings on what losing someone of Marc-Andre Fleury's character, experience and presence would mean to him as a coach and to the Blackhawks as a team.
"Obviously it's a huge loss. I was talking to him, I said 'I don't know what more I can say nice about you'. I was almost like borderline superfan with him. He's such a good person and the hockey part of it we all know what he can do. But the person there, you saw him up here, right? He's just an excellent person, human being. He's great in the locker room, he has a great sense of humor. He's focused, but he doesn't take himself too serious. He plays the game the right way and he's a competitor. And we're going to miss that if it comes to the point where he is moved. That's just the beast, right? That's what we chose as a profession. Sometimes they move players, you're not happy about it, but he has to think of himself, too. For selfish reasons, hopefully he stays."
-Coach King on the prospect of losing Fleury at the deadline.
Fleury has an element of control over where he can go, as he has a modified no-trade clause, which allows him to block a trade to any one of 10 teams of his choosing. That said, Fleury has publicly stated already that he does plan to play next season and he hasn't shut the door on a return to Chicago. That said, he also wants the chance to win.
"I don't know, if � IF � I move, I would love a chance to win. That's what I play for and that's what I love. It's still a big if at this point."
-Fleury on the prospect of leaving Chicago.
In terms of who might take over for Fleury if he does end up moving at the deadline, the Hawks still have Kevin Lankinen to lean on the rest of the way, but both he and Collin Delia are pending UFA's. What comes next for the Hawks between the pipes?
Enter 22-year-old Arvid Soderblom, whom the Blackhawks are reportedly very high on. The team didn't do the youngster any favors on Thursday when they hung him out to dry for 6 goals against at home to the Blue Jackets, but King didn't appear to be shaken by one unfortunate outing for the young Swede.
"I'm sure the kid's nervous. It's like every player, right? Your first NHL game. Not that it's his first but he's a young kid, he's a good goalie. He's going to be a really good goalie for us. But still, it's nerves. Home, his parents are in town and then what do we do? We don't start the game on time for him and gave up way too many chances. Guys that were getting the chances are good hockey players."
-Coach King on his young netminder's performance on Thursday.
If Fleury does move and if the Hawks happen to lose one of Delia or Lankinen to free agency, Soderblom could be in for a huge opportunity next season at the NHL level - be it as a starter or as a full-time backup. Either way, I'd imagine that if the Hawks lose both Delia and Lankinen, they'll go out and sign a veteran goalie to mentor Soderblom for at least next season.
Some uncertain times ahead for the Blackhawks. Hopefully we'll have some answers as to what their direction will be following the March 21st trade deadline.
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