The offseason started off with a bang yesterday for the Dallas Stars when they traded a fourth-round pick to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for goaltender Ben Bishop.
Bishop is a top-10 goalie in the NHL in terms of performance and consistency and will undoubtedly solve the Stars’ lingering goalie problem simply by showing up and standing in the crease.
But don’t forget that it’s not a done deal yet. Ben Bishop is still technically a pending UFA. When the Stars traded for him, they traded for his negotiating rights. If Dallas and Bishop don’t have a deal in place by July 1, Bishop is free to talk to any other team about a contract and the Stars will have lost a fourth-round pick.