It's official. Doug Armstrong has made his first deadline season move.
Prospect netminder Ben Bishop has been traded to the Ottawa Senators for a 2nd round draft pick in the 2013 draft.
To complete the deal reports suggested Ottawa sought permission to speak to Bishop regarding a contract extension. Clearly to ensure they could retain him because if he fails to appear for at least 30 minutes in 17 more NHL games this season, he would become an unrestricted free agent July 1st. Initially it appeared that the Blues granted permission and then signed him to a one year, one way contract to complete a sign and trade. However, that has been clarified to be partially true. The contract was completed with Ottawa.
Other teams thought to be interested in Bishop were the Tampa Bay Lightning, New Jersey Devils, and division rival Columbus.
The 26 year old St. Louis native and University of Maine standout is having a career year after losing the battle to backup Jaroslav Halak to Brian Elliott in training camp. He returned to the Peoria Rivermen to prove he deserved an NHL gig and has done so by becoming arguably the AHL’s best goaltender. Bishop as won 24 of 38 games and has posted a 2.26 GAA and .928 save percentage to date.
I’m admittedly not a goalie expert, but from for any Senators fans reading this my take on Bishop is pretty simple. He’s got the size and athleticism to be an average or slightly better than average starter. He isn’t a mess from a technical aspect. He’ll battle though well enough. The backup job would have been his if not for Halak’s poor preseason. Elliott got the nod because of his deeper experience pool.
Isn’t it interesting how one stretch of stellar performance plus a crazy market drove up the interpretation of Bishop’s upside and his value?
When he entered the organization in 2007, Bishop was considered more likely destined for a career as a backup than a starter. Before this season his numbers and play in Peoria have been respectable, but not perception altering. Growth has been measurable, but nothing before the last five months to indicate he’s pushed out of that original long term valuation.
Now big numbers, the Blues depth and the needs of a few teams have a projected backup costing a second round pick? Sounds like the right move was made. Sell high.
That said, this organization is past the point where getting something, anything, in return for a player not in future plans, is a necessity. The rebuild ended two seasons ago and with it went that mentality. Since Armstrong took over the focus has been tilted towards winning today without undercutting tomorrow. Building a winning history, tradition, whatever you want to call it is what good teams worry about. Bad teams worry about losing someone for nothing.
The Blues are no longer a bad team.
For that reason, continue to keep an eye on out and ear open through Monday’s deadline. As I wrote last week, there is precedent for trading Bishop for a pick and then flipping that pick for another player. My money was on Tampa, but the fact Ottawa is who pulled the trigger doesn’t change the possible scenario that will play out. The schedule and injuries over the last week to 10 days has shown holes in the Blues defense. Transition passing has been at an all time low under Ken Hitchcock. Mental mistakes have hung the goalies out to dry. Alex Pietrangelo has seemed more human. Kevin Shattenkirk has hit a rough patch. These rising young talents need more support or will likely succumb to pressures they’ve never felt to this magnititude.
Do keep in mind that the Blues are for sale and the financial outlook is not pretty. As radio analyst Kelly Chase and his TV counterpart Darren Pang have pointed out. There is’t much, if any money available. Translation: if you hear the Blues linked to some one with a Jay Bouwmeester like contract, don’t believe it. However, I am not of the belief that there isn’t a deal out there where a near equal swap of payroll can be made. Sure that limits options. Still options nonetheless. Why else would the media report potential interest in Roman Hamrlik and the presence of scouts at Caps games?
They’re looking. We’ll know soon if what they find matches what they can do.
So what do you think? Good trade? Will a pick be flipped?
Thanks for reading.
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