The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
It would not be fair to say the Pittsburgh Penguins have had it with the netminding of Marc-Andre Fleury, but his early-season inconsistency certainly has them considering their options. Expectations are high in Pittsburgh. If they're going to take the next step in their evolution as a contender, they must get some big-time goaltending and Fleury has yet to provide it consistently. Back-up Dany Sabourin is apparently not the answer. So the word on the street is that GM Ray Shero is considering making a move. One option is to roll the dice and sign a veteran free agent such as Curtis Joseph, to give Fleury a mentor, and have an option for occasions when Fleury isn't getting it done. But how good is Joseph at this stage of his career? The other option is to trade. Anaheim's Ilya Bryzgalov is available and so is Toronto's Andrew Raycroft, but he's likely too expensive for the Pens and he's having his own consistency issues. Montreal's Jaroslav Halak is talented, but unproven and would the Canadiens even consider moving him to an eastern rival? The same could be said for Ottawa's Martin Gerber, who may become expendable at some point. A trade wouldn't necessarily spell the end of Fleury in Pittsburgh, but his no. 1 status in Pittsburgh may soon be challenged.
