Mark Madden: Penguins getting another save from Marc-Andre Fleury

The Pittsburgh Penguins are signing goalie Marc-Andre Fleury to a tryout contract. He will practice once, then play in the team’s exhibition game vs. Columbus on Sept. 27 at PPG Paints Arena. Fleury will retire as a Penguin.

Unless Fleury does well enough for the Penguins to want him to keep playing.

All he’s got to do is be better than Tristan Jarry. That’s no monumental task for Fleury, even at 40.

If that happens, Fleury should say no. (And will. He’s done.)

The Penguins’ defensive corps might be historically bad. Getting shot full of holes could trigger a mid-life crisis.

Fleury’s return is a grand gesture, a chance for the fans to celebrate Fleury and vice-versa.

But let’s take a break for cynicism:

Fleury’s return enables the Penguins to sell out an exhibition game. That’s big for a team that saw attendance decline last season by almost 1,300 per game from the campaign before and will likely see the turnstile count dip again.

A lower-bowl ticket for the prior night’s exhibition game at PPG Paints Arena costs $86.

The same ticket to see Fleury costs $378. (That’s the team’s pricing via Ticketmaster. Not marked up on the secondary market.)

The Penguins will doubtless sell Fleury merchandise specific to the event.

I hope Fleury isn’t doing this for free.

Hype for Fleury’s comeback distracts from “Sidney Crosby might get traded” talk, and guarantees Crosby won’t be dealt before Fleury plays Sept. 27 and gets a chance to prank Crosby one last time. (That’s the event within the event.)

There’s an element of irony to all this:

Fleury was the hero when his save on Nicklas Lidström at the death won Game 7 at Detroit and the Stanley Cup in 2009.

But when the Penguins didn’t immediately pile on more Cups, Fleury got blamed by the citizens, not least after a first-round playoff loss to Philadelphia in 2012 that saw him post a goals-against average of 4.63.

That was followed by a 2013 postseason that saw the Penguins reach the Eastern Conference final but saw Fleury benched for Tomas Vokoun.

Fleury was scapegoated by social media and talk-show callers. Not by the paying customers. Fleury never got booed at home.

But Fleury became a popular underdog when Matt Murray took his spot in goal. The love rocketed when Fleury deputized for an injured Murray during part of the 2017 playoffs and played well as the Penguins won a second straight Cup.

Then Murray stumbled, and Fleury led expansion Vegas to the 2018 Stanley Cup Final: “We should have kept Fleury!”

Fleury is a great guy and exceptional teammate. That was always evident, whether from afar or up close.

Make no mistake, Fleury’s return is a great thing.

But there are sidebars.

When teams go downhill, they often turn to nostalgia and promotions. The Pirates are a prime example. One of their biggest headlines this season was generated by long lines on Paul Skenes Bobblehead Night.

Fleury’s return is confirmation of where the Penguins are at.

There’s also the resurrection of the Penguins’ in-house hall of fame, dormant since 2013.

One game-night promotion honors the 10-year anniversary of the 2016 Stanley Cup winners. Will Phil Kessel return?

“Big Three” legacy bobbleheads: Crosby, Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin. (Three games, not one. Thrice as many nailed-on sellouts.)

Black History rally towel night: to celebrate the rich history of black men who have played for the Penguins, from Darren Lowe to Boko Imama.

Zamboni Gravy Boat night. No force on earth could keep me away.

Oven mitt night: just another glove that Jarry can’t catch with.

Grateful Dead hockey shirt night. It’s Jan. 17. The Penguins’ playoff chances should be dead by then. If it means a top-five draft pick, we should be grateful.

That’s not criticism.

It’s how losing teams sell tickets.

It’s fun.

But it’s transparent.