The Dallas Stars announced a flurry of minor hockey operations moves today, headlined by carving out an official role for former netminder Ben Bishop in the organization. He’ll serve with the team as a player development coordinator in his first officially outlined front-office job in the NHL. Bishop, who’d last played in the NHL during the 2020 postseason and was forced to retire due to injuries, could not officially take a job with the team while still under an NHL contract with another organization, the Buffalo Sabres, whom Dallas traded the final season of his contract to for financial relief after it became clear Bishop wouldn’t play again.
Bishop played three seasons for the Stars from 2017 to 2020, earning a 74-48-11 record in 143 regular-season appearances with a .923 save percentage, a 2.33 goals-against average, and 14 shutouts. In the postseason, he played 16 games for Dallas, achieving an 8-8 record with a .920 save percentage and a 2.67 goals-against average, shining most brightly in the starting role in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, eventually losing to the champion St. Louis Blues in seven games in the Second Round. Throughout his career with St. Louis, Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Los Angeles, and Dallas, Bishop amassed a 222-128-36 record in 413 regular-season appearances with a .921 save percentage, a 2.32 goals-against average, and 33 shutouts.
Elsewhere in NHL-related items today:
- While speculation is increasing about potential trades for Calgary Flames center Elias Lindholm, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on NHL Network yesterday that it hasn’t been backed up by actual talks within league circles. Calgary surely remains in talks to attempt to extend Lindholm, and it’s becoming more and more likely he’ll at least start the season with the team. Surely, the Flames will look to get off to a strong start not just for standings purposes but also to help convince Lindholm and Mikael Backlund, their two most important remaining pending UFAs, to stick around.
- One of the concerns that caused star Russian prospect Matvei Michkov to fall all the way to the Philadelphia Flyers at seventh overall earlier this month was the lack of control over his development. He’s under contract with KHL club SKA St. Petersburg for three more seasons, leaving the Flyers without any immediate input into his post-draft development. That fact’s already become notable as, speaking with Match TV, Michkov revealed SKA plans to try the natural winger at center next season. Obviously, there’s no telling how such a move will work out so early on in a player’s professional development, but it’s an interesting wrinkle in Michkov’s pro career overseas worth keeping an eye on as the season progresses.