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Latest From Garrioch: Julien, Doan, Coyotes, Shattenkirk, Duchene

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While many are wondering if the Bruins will opt to replace Claude Julien as head coach, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun suggests that team owner Jeremy Jacobs has played a big role in keeping him around.  On the flip side, he notes that team president Cam Neely wouldn’t mind a change being made.  Julien is the longest-tenured coach in the NHL and is in his tenth season behind Boston’s bench.  The Bruins currently find themselves in a playoff spot but they sit just one point ahead of Toronto who have five games in hand so it likely won’t be long before they’re on the outside looking in.

Garrioch also covered several league-wide topics in his Insider Trading column.  Here are some of the highlights although the full column is worth a read:

  • While it’s far from a guarantee that Arizona right winger Shane Doan decides to agree to a deal, it sounds like he may be staying in the Pacific Division if he does move as he would prefer to not have to go too far. Anaheim, San Jose, and Los Angeles are believed to have interest in the 40 year old.  After a 28 goal 2015-16 campaign, Doan’s offensive production has slowed down considerably this year as he has just five goals and 12 assists in 51 games.  Accordingly, he would be a bottom six forward if he does eventually agree to a move.
  • While it’s well-known that the asking price for Coyotes center Martin Hanzal is quite high, GM John Chayka has also put a very high price tag on some of their other rental players including right winger Radim Vrbata, center Ryan White, and defenseman Michael Stone. As of yet, no one’s willing to meet the prices and it’s worth remembering that the playoff bonuses in Vrbata’s contract will be absorbed by whoever acquires him which should affect his value.  Stone’s likely to fetch a decent return as one of the better rental blueliners but the price for White, a fourth line center, shouldn’t be too high.
  • One team in the Eastern Conference received permission over the last two weeks to talk to St. Louis defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk regarding a contract extension. However, that deal fell through.  It has been suggested over the past few weeks that it’s much more likely that Shattenkirk will have to be dealt as a rental and not in a sign-and-trade deal which would undoubtedly yield a better return for the Blues.
  • The Lightning are among the teams to express an interest in Matt Duchene. Given who they have to re-sign this summer (including forwards Jonathan Drouin, Tyler Johnson, and Ondrej Palat), it seems difficult to imagine that they’d be able to keep them and add Duchene’s $6MM cap hit although it’s also possible that one of those players could be of interest to Colorado GM Joe Sakic in a possible deal.

Trade Candidates: Brian Boyle

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that are likely to be dealt by March 1st.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have largely underachieved but some of their players are quietly having big seasons.  One of those is Brian Boyle who is quietly positioning himself for a nice pay day while giving GM Steve Yzerman one of the more intriguing trade options on the market.

Contract

Final year of a three year, $6MM deal – Will be a UFA in July.

2016-17

May 13, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning center Brian Boyle (11) moves the puck against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first period in game one of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Lightning won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY SportsBoyle quietly sits in the top five in goals on the Lightning this season, continuing his upward trend in offensive production that he has shown since signing with them in the 2014 offseason.  He’s on pace for over 30 points, something he hasn’t done since 2010-11 with the Rangers.  Injuries to several forwards up front have resulted in Boyle seeing more ice time than usual as well; he’s averaging 13:42 per game, his highest since 2012-13.

Simply talking about his production is selling him short though.   He’s above the 50% mark at the faceoff dot once again and can play both center and the wing.  Boyle logs a regular shift on both special teams as well.  That type of flexibility in terms of position and role has made him a very valuable role player for Tampa Bay this year.

Season Stats

47 GP, 12 goals, 7 assists, 19 points, +7 rating, 41 PIMS, 87 shots, 13:42 ATOI, 54.6 CF%

Potential Suitors

The list of teams that would be interested in a versatile 6’7 forward in Boyle would be longer than the list of teams that wouldn’t have a use for him.  Here are a few teams in particular that would likely value his services though.

In the East, the Blue Jackets jump out as a good fit.  Boyle has plenty of postseason experience (something that can’t be said for many on their roster) and he played his best hockey under John Tortorella back when both were with the Rangers.  Columbus also has the cap space to fit him in without sending any money back or having the Lightning retain salary.  The Capitals may be an all-in team this season and have a vacancy in their bottom six, though it may have to be on the wing.  GM Brian MacLellan made a move to add a veteran penalty killer last year in Daniel Winnik and could conceivably do the same here with their top six in solid shape.  They don’t have the cap space to take him on, however, which could complicate things a bit.

Out West, he would be a terrific fit in Chicago.  The Blackhawks have been forced to use a lot of youngsters in the bottom six for cap reasons and could benefit from an experienced veteran who can fill a big role.  GM Stan Bowman has a history of dealing for bottom six upgrades at the deadline as well.  That said, as is always the case when it comes to the Blackhawks, making the finances work would be a challenge.  The Oilers are believed to be looking for an upgrade over rookie Drake Caggiula on their third line and Boyle would fit that bill well while giving them some more experience on a team that doesn’t have a lot of playoff-tested players.  They also have the cap space to bring him in while leaving enough room for the expected bonuses of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Likelihood Of A Trade

There’s little doubt that Yzerman would like to keep Boyle around but unless he’s willing to take a discount on his market rate and sign early, there probably won’t be an extension forthcoming.  As a result, there’s a very good chance he gets dealt unless the Lightning go on quite a run this month to get back into the playoff race.

Boyle could command one of the top prices at the deadline in a trade market bereft of top six rental talent and with a lot of teams fairly tight to the cap.  Accordingly, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him be one of the most-targeted players over the next month which will set the Lightning up for what should be a fairly significant return in a deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Ben Bishop Indicates He’s Open To A Trade

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Between losing playing time to Andrei Vasilevskiy, the Lighting struggling, and being in the final year of a contract, Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop has indicated he may be open to a trade should he be approached by general manager Steve Yzerman.

The catalyst would be more playing time, but according to Bishop, he’s not actively looking to leave the Lightning. For the veteran goalie, it’s about having an opportunity to play regularly. Yzerman is open to doing whatever is best for the team, as evidenced by his comments on the “Lightning Morning Skate Show.” Yzerman had this to say:

“If I could do something that helped our team make a trade that identified a need for us — not just for this year, but going forward — I would do that, and haven’t been able to do that to this point, and that’s been going on, really, since the [NHL Draft] last year.”

It’s an interesting turn in events, since Bishop was already a target to be traded before the season even began. But Bishop struggled out of the gate, and the Lightning are not quite the team everyone expected them to be. Flailing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, the Lightning may be more of sellers with the future in mind instead of peddling Bishop away for more depth in anticipation of a long playoff run. Affording Bishop the chance to have more playing time elsewhere certainly makes him more open to a trade, since Bishop has a limited no trade clause.

What could Bishop fetch should a trade commence? Our very own Mike Furlano had a detailed write up earlier this week. It appears, between the Bolts and Bishop agreeing that a trade could be good for everyone, that something could happen sooner rather than later.

Snapshots: Mazanec, Vermin, Howard

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The Nashville Predators have recalled goaltender Marek Mazanec and returned Juuse Saros  according to a press release. Mazanec has appeared in four games this season with Nashville, posting a 0-2-0 record and a .839 save percentage. With AHL affiliate Milwaukee, he’s 12-10-0 and a .910 save percentage. Saros is 5-3-2 with a .910 save percentage in 10 starts for the Preds.

  • Fan Rag Sports’ Joseph Nocco reports that the Tampa Bay Lightning have called up Joel Vermin from Syracuse. The Tampa Bay Lightning tweeted the announcement as well. Vermin has 17  points in 27 games with Syracuse. Nocco writes that this will be Vermin’s tenth game with the Lightning, though he has seen ice time sparingly in Tampa when with the big club.
  • Jimmy Howard begins his first game in net for the Grand Rapids Griffins tonight in a conditioning stint that will get him one step closer to the Red Wings. Since suffering an MCL sprain in December, Howard told MLive’s Ansar Khan that he hasn’t thought about his knee at all as he prepares to come back onto the ice. From Howard:

“I haven’t given it a second thought, even when I’m out there, so that’s a great sign. Next step here is to see some game action.”

The Red Wings benefited from Howard’s strong play this season, until a groin injury and the MCL sprain bumped him out of the lineup. His numbers outperformed expected starter Petr Mrazek by a long shot. In 17 games, Howard has a 1.96 GAA and a .934 save percentage. If given goal support, Howard might be the catalyst to the Red Wings getting on a roll.

Atlantic Notes: Lightning Woes, Maple Leafs, Viola

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The Tampa Bay are in unfamiliar territory writes the Tampa Times’ Joe Smith. Sitting in the basement of the Eastern Conference, the Lightning have lost six of their last seven games and are sorting out exactly what is wrong. Veteran Brian Boyle says that it’s driving everyone “crazy” on the team, while Smith writes that the Bolts are playing like a team without confidence. Keep in mind, this is the 2014-15 Stanley Cup runner up and a squad that came within a game of returning to the Stanley Cup Final last season. Lauded for his ability to keep the roster together, Smith adds that general manager Steve Yzerman will not make a panic trade to turn the team’s fortunes. But Smith believes a change is necessary somewhere.

  • Mike Babcock only wants to look ahead, and not dwell on the Maple Leafs’ recent struggles writes The Toronto Sun’s Terry Koshan. The Leafs slipped out of the playoff hunt by three points in both the division and the Wild Card race, but Babcock believes it’s a moment of accountability for each of the players. Koshan writes that Auston Matthews has just one point in his last seven games, while Frederik Andersen’s struggles haven’t helped the team’s fortunes at all. After posting back-to-back shutouts last week, Andersen gave up three against Dallas and five in St. Louis. Andersen “owns” his struggles, Koshan reports, and the veteran netminder knows he has to be better–along with the rest of the team.
  • Florida Panthers owner Vincent Viola has declined President Donald Trump’s offer to be secretary of the Army reports the Sun-Sentinel’s Harvey Fialkov. In a statement, Viola said the following:

“I am deeply honored to have been considered for this post, and appreciate the confidence President Trump showed in me,” Viola said in the statement. “I offer my continued support for President Trump and his administration, and look forward to re-doubling my efforts to support the Army and its veterans as a private citizen.”

Fialkov adds that Viola was struggling to separate himself from his business affiliations. Minority owner Doug Cifu would have taken over had Viola chosen to accept the post.

Blues Notes: Ribeiro, Hitchcock, Johnson, Armstrong

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The Blues may be one of the more interesting teams leading up to the trade deadline. The team has talent, but has underachieved this year and is battling just to make the postseason as a wild card. St. Louis took the surprising step of firing highly-respected head coach Ken Hitchcock, who had already announced he was retiring following the 2016-17 season, but more changes could be on the way.

Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch hosted his weekly chat with Blues fans today and tackled several queries regarding what steps the team might take next. It goes without saying but the whole post is well worth your time. Regardless, here’s a compilation of a few of the highlights:

  • Rutherford has long suggested the Blues need help at the center position and with Mike Ribeiro hitting the waiver wire today, one reader wondered whether St. Louis would take a chance on the talented pivot. While Ribeiro has a solid track record of offensive production, Rutherford just doesn’t see the soon-to-be-37-year-old as a fit for the Blues, citing the fact he has been a healthy scratch in Nashville on several occasions this season. Ribeiro does have 25 points in 46 games this season but only four goals. It’s likely the Predators sought potential trade partners prior to waiving Ribeiro and it would seem there wasn’t much interest. It’s possible someone besides St. Louis in need of center help will take a chance given the pivot is in the final season of his contract and wouldn’t come with much risk as a result. He did register a 50-point campaign in 2015-16 and tallied 62 the season before, suggesting he might still be able to help a team offensively.
  • The scribe also addressed whether Hitchcock’s name might come up in connection with the Las Vegas head coaching job. Rutherford is of the impression the veteran bench boss wouldn’t be “keen” on the idea and while he doesn’t specify as to why, it’s possible that the 65-year-old is simply at a point in his career where he wouldn’t want to take on the challenge of building an expansion franchise from the ground up. However, despite the fact he was set to retire after the 2016-17 season, many in the industry have said they wouldn’t be surprised to see Hitch back in the league at some point.
  • The Blues and Lightning have been linked as potential trading partners, given St. Louis’ issues in goal and the possible availability of pending free agent netminder Ben Bishop. However, Rutherford has heard that the Blues have interest in another Tampa Bay player: center Tyler Johnson. Johnson would make a ton of sense for the Blues. The team likely still fancies themselves as Stanley Cup contenders – if not necessarily this year – and a hypothetical deal for Johnson not only addresses a weakness now but would add a talented player who can be controlled as a RFA beyond the current campaign. Rutherford doesn’t specify what Tampa Bay would want in return but it’s safe to say a top-four defenseman would have to be part of the discussion.
  • Lastly, Rutherford’s colleague with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Jesus Ortiz, argues that the Blues “fired the wrong guy” when they dismissed Hitchcock. Ortiz is of the belief the team should instead have given GM Doug Armstrong his walking papers. He points to the hiring of Mike Yeo as “head-coach-in-waiting” as potentially undermining the authority of the veteran bench boss. In the press conference following the firing, Armstrong made a reference to “independent contractors,” when describing some of the players on the team and it’s fair to wonder if that condition is related to the team’s overall approach to the handling of the coaching situation. Ortiz also suggests that allowing Troy Brouwer and David Backes to depart as free agents hurt the team both on the ice and from a leadership perspective. Additionally, the team’s decision to trade goalie Brian Elliott and install Jake Allen as the undisputed #1 seems to have backfired. Hitchcock has long been able to coax above-average play between the pipes due in large part to his strong defensive structure. That hasn’t been the case this season as each of the team’s goalies, Allen and Carter Hutton, has a S% below 0.900. However, it should be noted that Elliott is also struggling in Calgary, and there is no guarantee he would have duplicated his success from last season had he remained with the Blues.

Poll: 2005 NHL Draft Take Two: Thirtieth Overall Pick

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Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.” Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.

We’re looking back at the 2005 NHL Draft, which kicked off the salary cap era and ushered in many of the current NHL superstars. The question we’re looking to answer is knowing now what we didn’t know then, how different would this draft look now with the benefit of hindsight?

Here are the results of our redraft so far:

1st Overall: Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)
2nd Overall: Carey Price (Mighty Ducks of Anaheim)
3rd Overall: Anze Kopitar (Carolina Hurricanes)
4th Overall: Jonathan Quick (Minnesota Wild)
5th Overall: Kris Letang (Montreal Canadiens)
6th Overall: Tuukka Rask (Columbus Blue Jackets)
7th Overall: Bobby Ryan (Chicago Blackhawks)
8th Overall: Marc-Edouard Vlasic (San Jose Sharks)
9th Overall: Ben Bishop (Ottawa Senators)
10th Overall: James Neal (Vancouver Canucks)
11th Overall: T.J. Oshie (Los Angeles Kings)
12th Overall: Keith Yandle (New York Rangers)
13th Overall: Paul Stastny (Buffalo Sabres)
14th Overall: Marc Staal (Washington Capitals)
15th Overall: Patric Hornqvist (New York Islanders)
16th Overall: Niklas Hjalmarsson (Atlanta Thrashers)
17th Overall: Anton Stralman (Phoenix Coyotes)
18th Overall: Jack Johnson (Nashville Predators)
19th Overall: Matt Niskanen (Detroit Red Wings)
20th Overall: Justin Abdelkader (Florida Panthers)
21st Overall: Martin Hanzal (Toronto Maple Leafs)
22nd Overall: Andrew Cogliano (Boston Bruins)
23rd Overall: Kris Russell (New Jersey Devils)
24th Overall: Darren Helm (St. Louis Blues)
25th Overall: Cody Franson (Edmonton Oilers)
26th Overall: Benoit Pouliot (Calgary Flames)
27th Overall: Vladimir Sobotka (Washington Capitals)
28th Overall: Devin Setoguchi (Dallas Stars)
29th Overall: Mason Raymond (Philadelphia Flyers)

Now we move forward to the 30th and final pick of the first round, which was held by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

To recap how this works:

  • We will go through the 2005 NHL Draft and have our readers select, through a voting process, who they think should have been taken with the selection.
  • The entire first round will be redrafted, spanning picks one through thirty. The new selection is chosen by the majority of votes.

Back in 2005, the Lightning opted to go big, selecting 6’7 defenseman Vladimir Mihalik.  As was the case with every other team that picked a hulking blueliner primarily based on his size, this selection didn’t exactly work out for Tampa Bay.

Mihalik played in just 15 games for the Lightning (picking up three assists) while on his entry level contract and spent the majority of his four years in North America with AHL Norfolk.  He opted to go back across the pond after the 2011-12 campaign and has spent time in Sweden, Russia, and his native Slovakia this season.  Suffice it to say, they’d undoubtedly like a mulligan on this pick which you can vote on right now.

With the 30th pick of the 2005 NHL Redraft, who should the Lightning select?  Cast your vote below!

Mobile users, click here to vote.

Trade Candidates: Ben Bishop

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that are likely to be dealt by March 1st.

Ben Bishop’s name was at the top of everyone’s “most likely to be traded” list to start the season. And with the trade deadline nearing, talk has only intensified as Tampa Bay Lightning GM Steve Yzerman contemplates a move. Bishop is another goaltending victim of circumstance on a team with expansion draft exposure concerns and upcoming RFA deals. A pending free agent goaltender used to be a hot commodity for teams looking to make a playoff push, but with more and more teams limited by the salary cap, veteran goalies have lost significant trade value

Contract

Bishop is in his final year of his 2-year, $5.95MM a year contract. It’s the 10th highest cap hit for an NHL goaltender.

2016-17

Bishop is not having the greatest 2016-17 season. Tampa Bay platoons its goalies, so Bishop shares time with Andrei Vasilevskiy. But even the reduced workload hasn’t helped increase the worst numbers Bishop has earned since playing backup for the St. Louis Blues in 2010-11. Part of the problem is that the team itself has been disappointing. The Lightning were a popular choice to lead the Atlantic this year, and right now they find themselves outside of a playoff spot. Lacking playoff hopes, however, bodes well for Bishop as the Lightning would be less hesitant to trade him knowing they do not need him for the playoffs.

Season Stats

27 GP, 11-12-3, .904 SV%, 2.83 GAA, 0 SO.

Potential Suitors

Fringe playoff teams or teams beset by goaltending injuries. The former exist, and the latter do not—for now. Most of the established playoff teams are set in net, but a season-ending injury to a starting goalie could do wonders for Ben Bishop’s trade market. Barring injury, though, Tampa has to look to those teams on the brink of playoffs and with little to offer in goal.

The Winnipeg Jets may want somebody more reliable that Connor Hellebuyck and Ondrej Pavelec. Hellebucyk is an RFA after this season, and Pavelec a UFA. The Jets also have ample cap room to work with. St. Louis could also show interest if starter Jake Allen continues his substandard season. The Blues will find it harder to fit Bishop in under the cap, so Tampa may have to either retain some salary or take a contract in return.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Very likely. The writing was on the wall on July 1, 2016 when the Lightning signed Vasilevskiy to a three-year, $3.5MM a year extension. That a trade hasn’t happened yet is the surprising part. Either the market is stagnant or GM Steve Yzerman is waiting for the deadline to maximize his return. With the Lightning potentially missing the playoffs, the team has no reason to keep Bishop beyond the trade deadline.

Friedman’s Latest: Bishop, Kulikov, Dadonov, Shipachev

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Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman posted the latest installment of his “30 Thoughts” feature and as usual, it’s replete with interesting tidbits. The whole piece is well worth a read in full but here are a few of the highlights:

  • With Ben Bishop nearing free agency and with the presence of Andrei Vasilevskiy as the team’s future in goal, rumors have circulated since this past summer that the Tampa Bay Lightning might attempt to deal the former rather than losing him for nothing in July. Friedman indicates that word is the Lightning are willing to move the 30-year-old netminder but that the offers Tampa GM Steve Yzerman have so far received are not good enough for serious consideration. Yzerman is in a tough spot. His team has underachieved and may well miss the playoffs altogether unless they go on a run soon. Barring a surprising Stanley Cup run fueled by strong play in goal from Bishop, there is essentially no chance the team re-signs the veteran goalie. With three key RFA’s – Jonathan Drouin, Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat – to extend this summer the cap savings the Lightning will receive with Bishop leaving is simply too valuable. At some point Yzerman will have to make a decision and the best bet might be to deal Bishop now and try to add assets in return. Those assets can either turn into young NHL-ready talent to help the Lightning on the ice next year or can be used to help entice other clubs to take a burdensome contract off their hands to improve their cap situation.
  • Another pending UFA, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Dmitry Kulikov, is also said to be available via trade and Friedman considers the 26-year-old blue liner a player “worth watching.” Kulikov was acquired from Florida along with a second-round pick just prior to the draft in exchange for Mark Pysyk, and second and third-rounders in 2016. The Sabres were hoping Kulikov would fill a need in the team’s top-four but injuries have derailed his season so far. All told, the Russian defender has played in just 23 games this season, compiling two points along the way. However, Kulikov seems to be getting his game back in order just in time for the trade deadline. Over the past three games, he has averaged around 24 1/2 minutes of ice time and has netted both of his points in the last four appearances. Defensemen are always in demand at the deadline and Kulikov should be no different. Unless Buffalo puts on a full court press to ink him to an extension, it seems likely the Sabres will move Kulikov in the coming weeks.
  • Friedman notes that NHL clubs have been scouting the KHL more than usual and adds that the league is considering contraction, meaning there will be fewer jobs overseas next season. This could prompt some KHL stars to consider plying their trade in North America in 2017-18. Friedman specifically mentions Evgeni Dadonov and Vadim Shipachev, both of whom play for St. Petersburg SKA, as two of the bigger names who could draw a lot of attention if teams believe there is a chance they will come over. Front offices are always looking for talent and expect clubs to look to exploit the opportunity if the KHL does scale back on the number of teams in the league.

Lightning Willing To Trade Ben Bishop

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While it remains to be seen if the Tampa Bay Lightning decide to buy, sell, or stand pat between now and the March 1st trade deadline, the team could be planning to move goaltender Ben Bishop regardless of what route they choose to go.  Speaking with Sportsnet 960 in Calgary (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggests that they are ready to move him but haven’t received the right offer yet (transcription via Fan Rag’s Chris Nichols):

“The name I’m hearing the most now is Ben Bishop. I don’t know what’s going to happen there, but I have a feeling that Tampa is ready to send him somewhere else and give Vasilevskiy the net. I think there are teams out there thinking that Ben Bishop rejuvenated can make a difference. I think the biggest issue is going to be what’s the price. I think Tampa would like to get better offers than they’re getting.”

It has long been expected that this would be Bishop’s final year with the Lightning after the team gave Andrei Vasilevskiy a three year extension back in July.  Considering that they have forwards Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, and Jonathan Drouin (among others) to re-sign, they wouldn’t be able to afford to have both goaltenders making big money.

The thought was that GM Steve Yzerman would be content with keeping both goalies this season to ensure they’d have high-level goaltending on a nightly basis but the play of both netminders appears to have thrown a wrench into that plan.  Bishop has posted a 2.78 GAA and a .905 SV% this season, well below his career numbers.  As Friedman noted though, some teams believe a new environment will get him playing more like his usual self.

In his latest column, ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun also believes that Yzerman would be willing to move Bishop but that the goalie market is quite slow at the moment.  This isn’t a typical year for shopping starter-quality netminders as Marc-Andre Fleury is likely available out of Pittsburgh given their expansion draft situation while Jaroslav Halak is readily available as well.  It’s also quite likely that the Stars would be willing to part with at least one of Antti Niemi or Kari Lehtonen in the right situation.

It’s worth noting that unlike all of those other goaltenders, Bishop is a pending unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.  If a team is just looking for some short-term help without any sort of long-term commitment, that would push Bishop to the front of the line.  However, with a $5.95MM cap hit, the Lightning would most likely have to take back some salary as well in the deal, either by acquiring a sizable contract or by retaining salary.

LeBrun adds that while some have suggested a swap of pending UFAs that would see Kevin Shattenkirk go from St. Louis to Tampa Bay, the Blues still have confidence in Jake Allen and haven’t indicated yet that they’re looking for an upgrade between the pipes.

Lots can change in the next month but it appears that Bishop will be a player to keep a close eye on as the trade deadline approaches.

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