Bolts Sign Bishop To A Two Year Contract Extension

Lightning goalie Ben Bishop was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season, but that won’t happen as the Bolts signed the big netminder to a two year extension today. The contract has a $5.95 million annual average and a no movement clause.

Here is the release from the team:

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed goaltender Ben Bishop to a two-year contract extension today, vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman announced.

Bishop, 6-foot-7, 214 pounds, posted a 37-14-7 record last season in 63 games. He also recorded a .924 save percentage and a 2.23 goals-against average. He ranked fourth in the NHL for games played and wins, as well as seventh for save percentage and goals-against average. Bishop’s five shutouts placed fifth in the NHL and were the second-most ever posted in franchise history. He set Lightning single season records for wins, save percentage and goals-against average. Bishop set the franchise mark for most saves in a game on January 19 at Carolina with 48. His 1,625 saves were the second most in a season by a Lightning goaltender. His successful season led to a nomination for the Vezina Trophy, given annually to the player voted to be the league’s best netminder.

The Denver, Colorado native has played in 108 career NHL games with the Lightning, Ottawa Senators and St. Louis Blues. He has posted a career record of 55-31-11 with eight shutouts, a .920 save percentage and a 2.40 goals-against average.

Bishop was selected by St. Louis in the third round, 85th overall, of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft out of the University of Maine. He was acquired by Tampa Bay from Ottawa on April 3, 2013 in exchange for forward Cory Conacher and a fourth-round draft pick in 2013.

The extending of Bishop gives Lightning prospect goalies Andrei Vasilevskiy and Kristers Gudlevskis two or three seasons to develop into NHL caliber players.

According to beat writer Erik Erlendsson:

Ben Bishop had screw removed from his wrist on Tuesday, arrived in Tampa today to work with trainers, begins rehab Monday. Bishop said he could have entered season w/out extension and maybe signed new deal in season for more $$, but glad to have deal done now. Bishop said he expects to be back on skates on Monday, said he can’t wait for the start of training camp, expects to be ready. Bishop also said wrist has limited his off-season training to a certain degree especially upper body work, said his bench press suffered 🙂

Signing Bishop now is an intelligent move on Yzerman’s part. Puck Daddy’s Sean Leahy said it best:

As we saw after Sergei Bobrovsky won the Vezina in 2013, the Columbus Blue Jackets werent ready to hand him a long-term deal after just one great season. Same goes for Bishop. He gets his salary nearly tripled beginning with the 2015-16 season and the Lightning aren’t locked into a lengthy contract with a goalie who will be out to prove last season wasn’t a fluke.

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