PITTSBURGH (93.7 the Fan) If you can’t beat them, join them! And by “join them” we mean take all of their players.
On their current roster, the Washington Capitals carry four former Pittsburgh Penguins.
Those four are forwards Daniel Sprong, Conor Cheary, and Carl Hagelin, as well as defenseman Justin Schultz.
All of those names, aside from Sprong, played big roles in the Penguins back-to-back Stanley Cup victories in 2016 and 2017.
The Capitals, however, have been linked to another former Penguins in fan favorite goalie Marc Andre Fleury.
Yes, according to rumors around the NHL, the Capitals have shown interest in acquiring the same goalie that kicked them out of the postseason on multiple occasions.
The Capitals did get one over on Fleury in 2018 when they beat Flower and the Vegas Golden Knights to win the Cup.
The Chicago Blackhawks, acquired Fleury during the offseason from the Knights for virtually nothing, and have been abysmal ever since.
With a 15-20-7 record, the Hawks are looking to be sellers at the NHL’s trade deadline and the Capitals have been in need of stable goaltending.
A trade between the Blackhawks and Capitals for the future Hall of Fame goalie is a longshot right now, but anything is possible and Washington has a track record of taking former Penguins with a couple of rings.
Another obstacle in keeping the trade from happening is Fleury’s own feelings.
According to Elliotte Friedman, Fleury is still ‘very much a Penguin and I think sometimes we underestimate how much passion there is in these rivalries.”
Aside from 2018 with the Golden Knights, Fleury and the Penguins have largely owned the Capitals.
In 44 career games against the Capitals, Fleury is 26-14-2 with 4 shutouts in regular season play.