Fleury's impeccable play makes expansion draft more interesting

No one could be happier with the play of Marc-Andre Fleury this postseason than the Pittsburgh Penguins brass, except maybe the brain-trust in Las Vegas.

Fleury has put to rest any doubts about his postseason performance and is playing his best playoff hockey since the 2007-08 campaign. He's made general manager Jim Rutherford look like a genius for not dealing him this season.

Many expected that Fleury's days in Pittsburgh would be numbered with the impending NHL expansion draft. Matt Murray proved last season and through most of this regular season that he is the franchise's goalie of the future, leaving doubts about Fleury's role.

However, an injury to Murray later and now Fleury is shining bright in the spotlight.

The problem now is that Fleury has a no-movement clause, so he must be protected by the Penguins. And since the team can only protect one goalie, it's a near certainty that Murray will be plucked by the Vegas Golden Knights unless they do something about it.

This means the next biggest Fleury fan might be George McPhee - and not just because the Penguins have a 1-0 lead against his former club - since the Golden Knights general manager likely understands that Fleury's great play puts the Penguins in a rather uncomfortable situation, one that could benefit his club.

So how do the Penguins attack this conundrum? Here are some of the possible outcomes that could arise at season's end and how they could impact these two clubs and these two netminders:

Penguins hold on to Fleury, Vegas gets Murray

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

We'll get the most unlikely scenario out of the way first.

Fleury has been great this postseason and anyone who caught Game 1 against the Washington Capitals on Thursday night can attest that Fleury was the reason the Penguins got the win.

Related: The wild, the weird, and the woolly from thrilling Pens-Caps Game 1

He has been great, and with Rutherford appearing to have a hard time letting him go, there is the chance that he has done enough to get back in the Penguins' good graces and prove that he can still be their goalie for years to come.

The Golden Knights would be ecstatic with this scenario. Not only would they get a fairly proven No. 1 goalie in Murray, but they'd get one who is just 22 years of age. Those talents don't come along very often, almost never. He would be a great first addition for the new franchise.

Penguins are forced to trade Fleury, possibly to Vegas

The most likely scenario is that, somehow, the Penguins trade Fleury to ... someone?

The Penguins are smart enough to understand what they have in Murray, and as great as Fleury has been, he is 10 years older and his best years are likely behind him.

So, regardless of how loyal Rutherford might be to Fleury, there's only so much he can do. He could try to swing a deal with a club in need of a No. 1 goalie. The Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars certainly come to mind.

Another possible partner, the Golden Knights. Here me out on this one.

Of course, between the two the Golden Knights would take Murray, but if the Penguins trade Fleury to Vegas on a deal skewed in the Golden Knights' favor - maybe including a high draft-pick - they could help Vegas score a strong netminder and provide some aid to their roster build, since they will certainly rely heavily on the draft in their first couple seasons.

It's a risky ploy, but with two desperate teams, it can't be ruled out.

Penguins, Golden Knights agree to deal that keeps Murray, Fleury in Pittsburgh

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

This kind of deal is exactly what could make the pending expansion draft so exciting. Vegas can make deals with teams so they don't pluck certain players from their roster. It's a fantastic rule.

It's hard to imagine what that would take in this instance, since - as mentioned - Murray could be a franchise goalie. But I'm not a general manager, I just play one on the internet.

Maybe Pittsburgh could package something mighty that Vegas would accept in order to look for a goalie elsewhere. One would think that would start with a first-round pick and include at least a good prospect or two - and even that might not be enough.

It would be a lot for Pittsburgh to give up, but it all comes down to how much the Penguins and Golden Knights value the two goaltenders.

Things are going to get interesting.

Of course, there could be a Plan D here that changes all of this, but as it stands now the Penguins will have a lot to consider at season's end.

The team is clearly over the moon with how the man they call "Flower" has played, but as it stands now, this strong performance will make things much more complicated for Pittsburgh in one month's time.