Goaltender Growth: Penguins Ink Fleury

On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Penguins retained Marc-Andre Fleury. Fleury signed a 7-year, $35 million contract. “He is extremely gratified to be part of the Penguins core going forward,” said Agent Allan Walsh. “The contract shows a lot of confidence the team is placing in him and Marc is making a statement to all that Pittsburgh is where he wants to be playing.”

During his career, Fleury has amassed a 76-67-19 record. He has posted a 2.95 goals against average. He has registered a .905 save percentage. “That's where I want to be,” Fleury said. “I love this city, the organization, the guys on the team. This is a lot and I'm really happy with it.”

Maturity is unpredictable. Maturity is not a juncture, phase, or stage. Maturity is the immediate acceptance of arduous circumstances. In 2007, the Ottawa Senators scorched the Penguins. In 2008, the Penguins swept the Senators. Did Fleury vastly improve? No. He simply matured.