The Dallas Stars appear to finally have the goalie they were looking for, locked up with a solid cap hit to boot.
Hearing that Ben Bishop‘s new contract with the Dallas Stars is $29.5 million over six years
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) May 12, 2017
Ben Bishop Signs Six-Year Deal with Dallas Stars
Bishop’s deal will carry a $4.9 million cap hit, 19th among active net minders between Frederik Andersen and Antti Niemi. The Stars now have $15.3 million locked up in the netminders going into next season, which means that either of Kari Lehtonen or Niemi will likely be bought out.
The 30-year old netminder did not have a Bishop-like season, posting a .910 save percentage and 2.54 goals against average in a season where he started the fewest games (37) since the 2013 shortened season (21). This was due to a knee injury that kept him out for three weeks, really derailing his year. Before 2016-17, the past 182 starts from 2013-2016 he posted a .922 save percentage and 2.20 goals against average, which earned him two top-3 finishes for the Vezina Trophy. He started at least 59 games in each of those three seasons.
Past Trade Rumors
Ben Bishop’s possible movement by the Tampa Bay Lightning was a story ever since the summer of 2016. With Andrei Vasilevskiy looked at to be the goalie of the future signing an extension himself, it was only a matter of time before Bishop was moved. On February 26th 2017, Bishop along with a 2017 5th rounder were dealt to Los Angeles for Peter Budaj, Erik Cernak, a conditional pick in 2017 and seventh rounder in 2017. He posted a .900 save percentage and 2.49 goals against in six starts with the Kings who also missed the playoffs.
Ben Bishop contract details: $7 M, $6.5 M, $5.5 M, $3.5 M, $3.5 M, $3.5 M; and NMC throughout, modified NTC last 3 years
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) May 12, 2017
Playoff Pedigree
Speaking of playoffs, the Stars will love Bishop’s pedigree once they get back in. In the two playoff years he’s been in, the Lightning made the Stanley Cup Final in 2015 and Eastern Conference Final in 2016, with Bishop in 36 combined starts performing at an elite level to the tune of a .927 save percentage and 2.09 goals against average. He was injured in Game 1 of the Eastern Final against the Penguins and the Lightning still forced the series to seven, which made many wonder what the result would’ve been if he hadn’t been hurt.
Bishop was drafted in the third round, 85th overall, by the St. Louis Blues in 2005. He’s been traded two other times in his career, most notably by Ottawa in 2013 when he was acquired for forward Cory Conacher and fourth round pick in the 2013 draft.
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