Dallas acquires Ben Bishop

Neil Parker

2017-05-09

USA TODAY Sports Images - Ben Bishop

 

The Dallas Stars acquired Ben Bishop from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a fourth-round selection in the 2017 NHL Draft Tuesday, and the pending unrestricted free agent has now been traded twice in the past three months.

Working under the assumption that Dallas inks Bishop to a contract, and the 6-foot-7 netminder begins the 2017-18 season as the No. 1 goalie in Big D, it's a sage addition for the Stars. Goaltending has been a serious eyesore the past two years, and Bishop has started 36 playoff games and is a two-time Vezina finalist.

Dallas posted the worst team save percentage (.894) in the league last season, and the Stars weren't significantly better in 2015-16 with a .904 mark. The Kari LehtonenAntti Niemi experiment has failed, and with Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin in the heart of their offensive primes, Dallas' competitive window is right now and potentially closing fast.

Bishop has posted a .920 save percentage and 2.29 GAA over 247 games dating back to the 2012-13 campaign. He's proven to be a reliable starter, and as noted, one with playoff experience. However, it's also worth noting that he's coming off his worst statistical season — .910 save percentage and 2.54 GAA — since becoming a full-time No. 1, albeit injuries and then a timeshare in Los Angeles took a toll.

Backstopping the Stars isn't going to be easy, though. Dallas allowed the third-most high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes (11.8) and allowed the most goals against per 60 minutes while shorthanded (9.5) last season. Lehtonen and Niemi can only shoulder so much blame, and defensively, Dallas never fully adjusted to life without Alex Goligoski.

While the optimists will point to the laundry list of injuries Dallas endured in 2016-17, ignoring Bishop's own injury track record is ill-advised. He's a large goalie, and the wear and tear of the position adds up. Bishop started 182 games over a three-year span entering last season, and then suited up for just 32 of 62 games with the Lightning.

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From a fantasy perspective, without a blue-line upgrade or two from the Stars, Bishop will probably be hard-pressed to match the ratios he posted during his best seasons with Tampa Bay. Still, even when everything went wrong for Dallas last season, the Stars were likely just league-average goaltending away from making the playoffs. Considering the alternative landing spots, Bishop donning a star next season is a solid fit.

 

 

One Comment

  1. James 2017-05-10 at 18:17

    No mention of what happens with Lehtonen and Niemi? Both are signed through 2017-18. Clearly both will be exposed to expansion and likely bypassed, and what then? Buy out one and retain the other as an expensive backup?

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