Ben Bishop traded to Tampa Bay
The Ottawa Senators have traded goaltender Ben Bishop to the Tampa Bay Lightning for forward Cory Conacher and a 4th-round draft pick.
Good for Ben Bishop. He finally gets to be the guy.
Bishop deserves a lot of credit for what he brought to the Ottawa Senators. It was a brief stint with the organization, just over 13 months, but he did everything they asked of him in that short time. He went to the AHL during the lockout when he was clearly too good for the league, even though he had to platoon. When Craig Anderson went down with an injury this season, Bishop came in and was a steady presence while splitting time. He was amazing in the shootout. He had a great attitude.
And he was very tall.
Farewell to Ben Bishop. On behalf of the city of Ottawa and Senators fans everywhere, we wish you the best of luck. Unless you're playing the Senators, of course. Go make a name for yourself. Stand tall.
Robin Lehner, you are officially an NHL goaltender.
So what about the return? The 4th-round pick is a crapshoot, so the real gem here is rookie Cory Conacher. He was an undrafted forward and is the reigning AHL MVP. He had an amazing start to the 2013 season but has cooled down significantly as his ice time has decreased. Still, Conacher is second in rookie scoring and will join the Senators' 2013 policy of "play all the rookies."
Conacher is also 11" shorter than Bishop.
I think it's a great deal for Ottawa. Bishop cost the Senators a 2nd-round pick last year and brought back Tampa Bay's best rookie who has some upside and can contribute now. Bishop was never going to be the future here, and he's proven himself to be capable as at least a 1A/1B starting goalie, if not a legitimate starter. He's better than a backup right now. The Senators traded him while his value was highest.
Capital gains.