They've danced around the idea.

It used to be, will the Pittsburgh Penguins trade Marc-Andre Fleury? But the question may now be, can the Penguins trade Fleury?

With the Las Vegas expansion draft looming over the Penguins' crease, and the team all but guaranteed to protect young netminder Matt Murray, Fleury's days in the Steel City are no doubt on borrowed time.

But that hasn't stopped Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford from denying the inevitable.

In May, the veteran GM said that Fleury was "absolutely not" done in Pittsburgh, despite the strong play of youngster Murray.



Then in October, Rutherford moved the dial, his stance then that he wanted to let the situation play out, and that Fleury was not "automatically out."

But most recently, after entering the season with the Fleury-Murray duo, the message has yet again changed, with Rutherford admitting that the tandem has "not met his expectations."

Fleury, owner of a modified no-movement clause, is protected from the Vegas expansion draft, but the same contract protection does not prevent a move to 12 other clubs. In other words, it's either Vegas, should Fleury waive it, or one of a dozen mystery boxes for the two-time Stanley Cup winner.

For Fleury, the past looks good. But on the ice this season, his performance hasn't left rival GMs diving for their phones. Meanwhile, Murray continues to shut the door, boasting a .935 save percentage, 1.93 goals-against average, and just two losses on the season. Fleury or Murray? It's an obvious choice for the Penguins, and one likely already made but not publicly admitted.

Through 18 games, Fleury has come away with a winning record, but the supporting numbers aren't nearly as hot. His .900 save percentage is the worst it's been in more than a decade, when he posted an .898 showing in 2005-06.

It gets worse. The only year that touches his ugly 3.42 GAA - more than a full point above any of his last nine seasons - is the 2003-04 campaign, when a teenage Fleury was thrown into the league, making his NHL debut and posting a 3.64 GAA in the process.

By comparison, 27 goaltenders this season have played in as many or more games than Fleury. All but Dallas' Kari Lehtonen own a better save percentage. Even Los Angeles' Peter Budaj (.907), the AHL castoff who is holding down the fort for the Kings. The entire group, including Lehtonen, has a better GAA.

Such a performance, tied to the fact that Fleury is owed a $5.75-million cap hit over the next two seasons, makes him a difficult sell.

In what is surely his last year in Pittsburgh, Fleury has not made it one to remember. A fresh start could be the perfect remedy to fix the ailing goaltender, and whether that's in Vegas or elsewhere is up to Rutherford to decide.