With the Dallas Stars sending a 2017 4th-round NHL Draft selection to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for enigmatic goaltender Ben Bishop, the Stars now possess the contracts of three NHL-calibur netminders.
Wait, hold that. The Dallas Stars simply acquired the exclusive negotiating rights to the former Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender – meaning they’ll get a little over seven weeks to find a middle ground in contract talks with Bishop.
It’s been estimated that Bishop, a two-time Vezina Trophy finalist, will request an average annual value of $6 million or more. Only six goaltenders in the National Hockey League earn an excess of $6 million each season, with future Hall of Famer Henrik Lundqvist at the summit with an $8.