On July 27, 2021, with the Golden Knights in need of salary cap space, Fleury was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for minor league forward Mikael Hakkarainen, making Fleury the first goaltender since Dominik Hašek to be traded as the defending Vezina Trophy winner. According to both Fleury and his agent Allan Walsh, Fleury was not notified by the Golden Knights about the trade, and the two learned about it on Twitter. After being traded, Fleury reportedly contemplated retirement. However, on August 1, Fleury announced that he intended to play for the Blackhawks in the 2021–22 season.
