TUESDAY COMMENTARY – FLOWER POWER
LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 21: Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury poses in the press room after Fleury is taken by the Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft during the 2017 NHL Awards and Expansion Draft at T-Mobile Arena on June 21, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
(Listen daily for the Rod Pedersen Commentary on Cat Country 98 & Rock 98.5 FM)
IF YOU’LL PARDON THE PUN, MONDAY’S NHL TRADE DEADLINE PRODUCED A “FLEURY” OF ACTIVITY.
AND I SUPPOSE THIS IS WHY WE FOLLOW IT SO CLOSELY; EVERYONE EXPECTED CHICAGO GOALIE MARC-ANDRE FLEURY TO GET DEALT, BUT NOBODY PREDICTED IT WOULD BE TO THE SUDDENLY-STRONGER MINNESOTA WILD.
THE FLEURY TRADE WAS ONE OF 33 MOVES MADE ON MONDAY’S NHL TRADE DEADLINE, AND IT WAS MORE PROOF THAT YOU’D BETTER NOT GET ATTACHED TO YOUR FAVOURITE PLAYERS.
EASY TO SAY, TOUGH TO DO.
IN FACT SOMETIMES I NEED TO FOLLOW MY OWN ADVICE. I’VE SOMEWHAT FALLEN OFF THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS BANDWAGON, AFTER THEY SHIPPED FLEURY OUT FOR HIS PLAYOFF GAFFE LAST YEAR WHICH LIKELY COST VEGAS THE STANLEY CUP SEMIFINAL AGAINST MONTREAL.
I FELL HARD FOR THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS, AS I WAS LOOKING FOR A FRESH NHL ROOTING INTEREST, AND THEY PROVIDED IT. FLEURY WAS THE FIRST PLAYER SELECTED IN THEIR EXPANSION DRAFT AND IN THAT MOMENT, BECAME THE TEAM’S MOST POPULAR PLAYER.
BUT THAT ENDED UP IN A DIVORCE WHERE NEITHER SIDE WON. VEGAS IS LANGUISHING NEAR THE PLAYOFF LINE AND LIKELY LOOKING AT THEIR FIRST SEASON OF MISSING THE PLAYOFFS IN FRANCHISE HISTORY.
AND THE FLOWER IS NOW HEADED TO MINNESOTA BUT LEAVING HIS FAMILY BEHIND IN CHICAGO UNTIL THIS WILD, WILD SEASON COMES TO A CONCLUSION. FOR HIS SAKE, I HOPE IT’S WITH HIS FOURTH CAREER STANLEY CUP WIN.
TOUGH BUSINESS, THIS SPORTS.
NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART.
THAT’S TODAY’S ROD PEDERSEN COMMENTARY.
(The Rod Pedersen Show airs daily at 12 pm ET on Game+ TV Network across Canada and the USA. Call your cable provider for details. You can also watch on YouTube Live and listen 24/7 at RodPedersen.com/ListenLive)
