Sooner rather than later, the Tampa Bay Lightning will need to make a decision on what they plan to do with Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop. Otherwise, the Lightning will run the risk of losing a top-tier netminder with absolutely nothing in return.
At the end of this season, Bishop’s contract will expire and he will become an Unrestricted Free Agent. This means that any team can court the goaltender and offer him whatever they want.
Should the Lightning decide to wait and try to resign him, it’s entirely possible that Bishop could accept an offer from another and the Lightning would be forced to watch him walk away and get nothing for his loss.