Is the Wild's Fleury the Most Underrated Goaltender in NHL History?

During a lengthy tenure in any sport, a single player may accomplish everything there is to accomplish and still not be talked about like they should. Multiple championships and awards, yet Marc-Andre Fleury is not considered a top-20 goaltender of all-time. There is not one thing yet to accomplish, yet he is not in the same breath as Terry Sawchuk, Patrick Roy, Jacques Plante, or Georges Vezina.

Minnesota Wilds goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has a Hall of Fame resume

Fleury was the first overall pick in the 2003 NHL Draft and had high expectations due to him being a goaltender from the province of Quebec. While all eyes were on him, he had an unsuccessful first NHL season, going 4-14, with a goals-against-average of 3.64, and a save percentage of .896 with one shutout. During the off-season that summer, Fleury continuously worked on his game to improve his play on the ice. It worked, as the following season he improved his stats across the board. However, it wasn't until his third NHL season that we saw a much-improved goaltender who was on teh verge of stardom. In 2006-70, he blossomed into a record of 401-6-9 with a GAA of 2.83, and a save percentage of .904.

It was not until his seventh year in the league that he would be recognized as one the of the best goaltenders as he began to rack up acknowledgements. He didn't win many awards early, but he was in contention for some of the most prestigious awards in the game.

With the Pittsburgh Penguins, he won three Stanley Cups (2009, 216, 2017), and appeared in two All-Star games (2011, 2015). He will go down as one of, if not the best, goaltender in Penguins history. With his name on the Stanley Cup, he would leave Pittsburgh to join the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 expansion draft.

His accomplishments sis not stop when he left the Penguins. He had a solid, yet messy, career with the Golden Knights as he appeared in two All-Star games (2018, 2019), and kept Vegas within reach of the Stanley Cup. After four years in Vegas, he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, where he would win the 2020-21 Vezina Trophy for the league's best overall goaltender and the William M Jennings Trophy, for the goaltending duo who gives up the fewest goals. He was getting older, but he was still at the top of his game.

He would then join his current team, the Minnesota Wild, after a trade with Chicago for draft picks. Although his record was average, he still got between the pipes and competed. Last season for Minnesota, he compiled a record of 17-15-5 with a 2.98 GAA, and a save percentage of .895 with two shutouts.

Fleury's career numbers include a record of 561-330-96 in 1,025 games. He has a career GAA of 2.60 and a ,912 save percentage and 75 shutouts, While these numbers are impressive, he ranks among the best goaltenders to ever play the game.

He is fourth all-time in games (1,025), second in wins (561), fourth in goals-against (2,565), third in shots against (29, 151), third in saves (26, 586), 12th in shutouts (75), and fourth in minutes (59, 276). That is quite the resume for a goaltender that is still in the game. While he may not have much time left on the ice, he is adding those numbers and should be considered to be one of the best to ever do it. However, he is not considered when we talk about the all-time greats in NHL goaltending history. He has won every major award for goaltenders and won three Stanley Cups, so what is he missing to be in the conversation? He is one of the most beloved players in the game today, as well as one of the best pranksters in the locker room, showcasing his human side away from the rink.

His accomplishments speak for themselves. His rankings in NHL goaltending history speak for themselves. He is a great ambassador of the game and should be recognized as such. He is going to go down as one of the best goaltenders in the past 20 years that is not in the same breath as those listed above. And he should be. Fleury is a first-ballot Hall of Famer when his career is over, then he will officially be with some of the greats of the game.