As reported yesterday, Dallas Stars goaltender Ben Bishop has waived his No-Movement Clause for the NHL Expansion Draft. Since the news broke, Bishop has spoken with the Dallas Morning News explaining his decision:
“I just thought it was best for the team,” Bishop said in a phone interview. “You can see the writing on the walls as far as what might happen. You’ve got Dobby being exposed. I think the Dallas Stars, we still have this window here where we’re trying to win the Stanley Cup. Just thought it was the best thing to do. We all agreed.”
While Bishop acknowledges there’s a chance that Seattle takes him in the expansion draft, his belief is that he will be back in Dallas next season. He’s still not fully recovered from injury as of yet, but hopes to get back to his Vezina-caliber level:
“Still a long ways to go,” Bishop said. “With a little bit of uncertainty, we’ve still got to get to where I can play at an elite level. There’s still a process to be played out here.”
You can read more from Bishop in Matthew DeFranks’s updated story here.
Stars Stories
The Stars are extending their partnership with the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads:
Texas 🤝 Idaho
We have extended our @ECHL affiliation with @Steelheads through the 2022-23 season
📰 » https://t.co/t0sSXO2gh8 pic.twitter.com/jbFGFanFAZ
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) July 15, 2021
It’s not soley about the Stars, but Bob Sturm does answer questions about them in his latest DFW sports mailbag:
Who will be Dallas’ next champion? Who starts on O-line for the Cowboys? DFW sports mailbag https://t.co/j7Fagi1vQ2
— Bob Sturm (@SportsSturm) July 16, 2021
Around the League
Instead of losing him to the Seattle Kraken, the Colorado Avalanche shipped off Ryan Graves to the New Jersey Devils:
🚨 TRADE ALERT 🚨
We have acquired defenseman Ryan Graves from Colorado in exchange for forward Mikhail Maltsev and our second-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. pic.twitter.com/GiVocf6b3g
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) July 16, 2021
Perhaps also expansion-related, the Florida Panthers have opted to buyout Keith Yandle’s contract:
#FlaPanthers GM Bill Zito has announced that the club has bought out the contract of defenseman Keith Yandle.https://t.co/Slk8FWxsXH
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) July 15, 2021
Speaking of Seattle, who exactly should they pick? The ESPN+ crew makes their predictions:
Which players should each team protect from the Seattle Kraken? The lists from @emilymkaplan and yours truly! https://t.co/V4dgbeNW5S
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) July 15, 2021
Teams love to acquire more scoring during Free Agency, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t enticing two-way forwards out there:
Two First-Time UFA Centers Whose Defensive Prowess Should Entice You
Everyone loves to go after the big-ticket scorers during free agency, but we’ve got a couple pivots who will help win on the other side of the puck.
✍️ by: @Nick_Emanuelli: https://t.co/Z71v2E04aH
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) July 15, 2021
Other teams will opt to avoid Free Agency, instead looking to improve their teams via trade:
Jack Eichel. Seth Jones. Vladimir Tarasenko. … Steven Stamkos?@CraigCustance and @domluszczyszyn take a closer look at the NHL trade market and which players might be dealt this offseason ⤵️https://t.co/FEx8dlf3Rh
— The Athletic NHL (@TheAthleticNHL) July 15, 2021
Finally, Gabriel Landeskog is upset about a lack of extension from Colorado yet, but that’s not the only gossip going around the water cooler:
From where Ryan Suter and Zach Parise might land next, to how much Zach Hyman could earn on his next deal, here’s a roundup of some of the big rumours and reports swirling around the NHL. ⤵️
✍️: @EmmySadlerhttps://t.co/wpHsVcfGHw
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) July 16, 2021