Dallas Stars May Be Out Of Luck With Ben Bishop
By Josh Clark
The Dallas Stars have slowly and quietly added players through free agency this offseason. But what is up with goaltender Ben Bishop?
On Saturday afternoon when the Dallas Stars signed free agent forward Adam Cracknell to a one-year deal, he did not get the most friendly welcome on Twitter.
By that, I mean that most Stars fans were not focused on him. If you peruse the comments section on the Stars’ tweet making the Cracknell signing known, it is littered with Bishop references.
Comments ranging from “Where’s Bishop?” to “This is cool, but it’s not Bishop” to “Just waiting here for Bishop, y’know” can be found.
In other words, Ben Bishop is the only thing on the minds of Dallas Stars fans at the moment. Ever since rumors began flaring that the Stars were in trade talks with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the goaltender, Dallas fans have not let it die out.
Stars fans seem to be insistent on yet another change in net for the coming year.
This past season, the Dallas Stars ran with a two-goalie tandem of Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi. The two veteran starters split time for the first time in their respective careers, and things went pretty well. Though neither goaltender posted particularly high numbers, they each found a way to secure 25 wins, leading the Stars to become the most feared team in the West with 50 wins.
The two definitely struggled in the postseason. Maybe it was simply because they were still adjusting to the new system. Maybe a slump just killed them. Either way, the Stars could not make it past game seven of the second round.
That being said, it seems everyone is up in arms to get rid of the system and start fresh once again.
The only problem is, it may be too late to go calling for Ben Bishop. While you may be quick to say, “It’s never too late. Jim Nill can swing a deal whenever he wants to,” don’t forget that it takes two to tango in a trade.
The Dallas Stars are a highly skilled team, led by a threatening assault on offense mixed with a decent group on defense. When you get to goaltending, all that can really be said is that things are looking up after half a decade in the dark.
But why can’t the Stars swing a deal that would bring Bishop to Big D, effectively turning Dallas into a Stanley Cup contender overnight? Well, to be honest, the Lightning may not be willing to deal him anymore.
When the rumors initially arose, Tampa Bay was staring down potential disaster. Superstar center Steven Stamkos was a pending UFA and had been meeting with different teams about possible changes of scenery.
With his ultimate decision unknown, the Lightning were in a bind. With the expansion draft confirmed for the 2017 offseason and every team being allowed to protect only one goaltender, Tampa was one of the teams hit hard by the one-goalie rule.
With Ben Bishop and Andrei Vasilevskiy, the Lightning essentially have two starting goaltenders, each with a lot of mileage left on them. So why not try and acquire a certain piece the team needs by trading one of the goalies instead of just letting him go next offseason with nothing in return?
But since these speculations arose, Stamkos re-signed with the Lightning on an eight-year, $68 million deal. Not only that, but Lightning GM Steve Yzerman also signed Vasilevskiy and Victor Hedman to big-money deals.
So that’s a bit of a good and bad situation. On the downside, the Lightning are re-signing all of these players to big money deals, making their decisions more difficult. But on the other hand, they have secured the formula for a winning roster that can compete for a Cup. That being said, why not keep it intact? It’s nice to get returns for players, but the overarching goal is a Cup. The Lightning have a real shot at that this season.
Why trade Bishop at this point? Considering they used a two-goalie system similar to what the Stars used this past year and it paid off in dividends, there may not be time left. Yzerman may very well have taken his offer off the desk when Stamkos returned.
must read: Stars' Free Agency: The Good, Bad, And Ugly
Either way, it’s a touchy situation for the Dallas Stars to feel through right now. Bishop would be an excellent addition, but there are a few obstacles. First off, the Stars would have to get rid of a goaltender in the process. They cannot buy out Niemi or Lehtonen at this point, so one of them would have to go.
Secondly, Bishop has a full no-movement clause that he would need to waive. He may not be ready to leave Tampa Bay yet. That would probably be on account of the fact that the Lightning have been to the final four both times in the past two years.
Next: Adam Cracknell Bringing Experience To Stars Table
But in the end, Nill might find a way to work his knowledge. He knows what he is doing and knows what this team needs, but he also knows when the price is too steep or the return is not valuable enough. You just have to trust what the man says and does. Until then, dream on. Bishop to Big D or bust (say that five times fast).