The Dallas Stars‘ General Manager Jim Nill has announced goaltender Ben Bishop and forward Alexander Radulov will not return this season. Nill also said both are expected to return for the 2021-22 season.
GM Jim Nill offered the following updates on the health status of goaltender Ben Bishop and forward Alexander Radulov: pic.twitter.com/bbK5IT2heH
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) April 14, 2021
Alexander Radulov and Ben Bishop Out For The Year with Injuries
Bishop hasn’t played this season. He has been recovering from a knee surgery that happened in October, to repair a torn meniscus. The goaltender was set to return by the end of the season but the GM decided to rule him out to give the player more time to rehabilitate.
During the Stars’ run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020, Bishop played only three games before sustaining the knee injury. He was 1-2-0 with a 5.43 goals-against average and .844 save percentage. During the regular season, the goaltender was 21-16-4 with a 2.50 GAA, a .920 save percentage and had two shutouts in 44 games (43 starts).
Radulov is scheduled to have a core muscle surgery after missing 30 of the last 33 games. According to Nill, the injury was sustained at the end of training camp and got worse during the season. He did not play in 15 games between February 7 and March 13 and returned to play only three games before being out since March 18.
The timeline for his recovery is three months, which means Radulov will likely be ready for training camp next season.
What This Means For The Future
Both Bishop and Radulov are big losses for the Stars. Right now, Dallas is relying on Anton Khudobin and the youngster Jake Oettinger in the net. They are both great goaltenders and have combined for a .910 save percentage. But whenever Khudobin is out, Oettinger has to do all the heavy lifting – and this is his rookie season. Having a veteran backup would be the best-case scenario but they have been working it out.
However, the biggest loss for Dallas right now is Radulov. It’s no secret that when he’s healthy and in the lineup, he’s a key player for the Stars. Radulov had four goals and eight assists in only 11 games played this season. During the 2019-20 playoff run, he had eight goals and 18 points in 27 games. Radulov was one of the most important players for the Stars during the Stanley Cup Finals.
He’s not only a strong presence on the ice but also a veteran and leader figure for the Dallas team. This is a tough blow for them.
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