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NHL Trade Rumors: Marc-Andre Fleury, Colorado Avalanche

By Ryan Ritchie

Nov 10, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (29) knocks the puck aside against the Minnesota Wild during the third period at the PPG Paints Arena. Minnesota won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 10, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (29) knocks the puck aside against the Minnesota Wild during the third period at the PPG Paints Arena. Minnesota won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 30, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Ben Bishop (30) during a break in action against the New York Rangers during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 30, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Ben Bishop (30) during a break in action against the New York Rangers during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /

Ben Bishop finds a new home

This situation varies a bit from the Pittsburgh Penguins goaltending conundrum. After all, Bishop doesn’t own a no-move clause and currently sits on an expiring contract ($5.95 million dollar cap hit through 2016-17). Technically speaking, the Lightning could leave him exposed in the expansion draft and let him walk into free agency. They obviously won’t let that happen, but won’t allow themselves to be backed into a corner either.

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The only way Steve Yzerman and company can screw this up is by allowing the 29-year-old elite start to walk for absolutely nothing.

There is only one situation in which it could actually make sense to hold on to Ben Bishop and hear me out on this one: Use Bishop as expansion bait.

Here’s why: imagine the return haul for Ben Bishop in a trade. Maybe they get a quality forward or defenseman to add to the mix. Their protection list is locked down up front for those seven spots. Even if Tampa saved Hedman, Nesterov, and Sustr on the back end (for example), it still leaves Braydon Coburn, Jason Garrison, Slater Koekkoek available on the blue line. Up front, names like Alex Killorn, Vladislav Namestnikov, and J.T. Brown are on the outside looking in.

Fact is, if you trade Ben Bishop and add another quality piece that helps in their Stanley Cup run this year. TB still stands to lose something similar to what’s coming back in a deal. So if Vegas selects Killorn, they’ve basically replaced Killorn with the return haul for Bishop. However, if you leave Bishop exposed, you’re losing a guy that was already on his way out, while at the same time preserving the rest of your roster (assuming Bishop would sign with the expansion club, of course).

Next: 2008 NHL Re-Draft of First Round

So, it’s certainly not a slam dunk that Tampa Bay moves Ben Bishop. In fact, if the American goaltender is still in the mix beyond the trade deadline, it might give us a little more insight into GM Steve Yzerman’s thought process.

Even with these remote possibilities, finding a trade partner should still be priority number one. For those teams interested in Bishop, the key would be ensuring the two sides could come to an agreement on a new contract.

Potential Fits:

Arizona Coyotes, Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers

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