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NHL Trade Deadline: Ben Bishop Not What LA Kings Need

By Shepard Price

NHL Power Rankings: Los Angeles Kings goalie Peter Budaj (31) makes a save in the second period of a game against the Florida Panthers at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
NHL Power Rankings: Los Angeles Kings goalie Peter Budaj (31) makes a save in the second period of a game against the Florida Panthers at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports /
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NHL Trade Deadline: No, the LA Kings Addition of Netminder Ben Bishop Was Not What This Team Needed.  For a team that ranks 24th in the league in goals for, it doesn’t make much sense to wrap up another $4 million dollars between the pipes, even as a rental.

After months of speculation leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline, it seems Ben Bishop is headed to the LA Kings. A somewhat curious destination, reports have suggested that Dean Lombardi and company were the only club to actually show interest in the 30-year-old. Given the relatively cheap cost to acquire him (Peter Budaj, Erik Cernak, and a draft pick), it seems those reports might be true.

From a management point of view, it seems the LA Kings are simply looking for a bit of insurance down the stretch now with Jonathan Quick healthy.  They saw how quickly things can fall apart without their elite starter, although give Budaj a lot of credit, he filled in admirably.

Kings Pre-Bishop

Jan 31, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Ben Bishop (30) makes a save against the Boston Bruins during the third period at Amalie Arena. Boston Bruins defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3. Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 31, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Ben Bishop (30) makes a save against the Boston Bruins during the third period at Amalie Arena. Boston Bruins defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3. Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Bishop has posted a .911 save percentage and a 2.55 goals against average this season. The Kings traded Budaj, defenseman Erik Cernak, and a seventh-round pick to Tampa for Bishop and a fifth round pick. The Lightning also receive a conditional pick in the next draft.

While this may not seem like a lot for the Kings to give up, Cernak could turn out to be great for a Lightning team in need of defensive depth, and the Kings gave up Budaj, who is posting better numbers this year. Bishop’s contract is also one that is expiring.

And the Kings gave up something more than just what is going to Tampa. The Kings are a team without much cap space. They’re also a team who ranks 24th in goals for. What this means is that the Kings just gave up about $4 million in deadline cap at a position they weren’t really needing.

What This Means For the Kings

The Kings desperately need more goal scoring if they want to make the playoffs. They’ll need more goal scoring if they want to go far in the playoffs as well. Ben Bishop is a player who can do many things and do them well. What Bishop can’t do, though, is score goals.

This means that the Kings are now limited to about 3 million that they can use on goal scorers if they actively want to pursue the playoffs. With this trade, it seems like that is the case. If they wanted to acquire someone like Thomas Vanek, who has shown a lot of goal scoring prowess this season, that would be very hard to do now. The Kings wouldn’t have much room afterward to bring younger players up or replace temporarily injured players.

The Kings needed an upgrade before the playoffs. It was not in net, but at the opposite side of the ice.

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    • The Future of This Trade

    It seems like the Kings wanted Ben Bishop for another reason than just the playoff push. The Kings, uncertain of Quick’s health, decided to make this trade at the deadline perhaps to allow Quick more rest.

    But GM Dean Lombardi said that “You’re never sure how well a guy who’s been out this long, is he going to have his A game, he said. This is not an insurance policy. Bishop needs to play.” That quote comes via the Los Angeles Times. So the Kings are looking at Bishop like a true goalie tandem with Quick.

    But beyond that, could the Kings be looking at Bishop as the next goaltender for them? We’ll see how he plays in the new system, but Quick is signed for another six seasons, through 2023 (via CapFriendly).

    The move could signal that the Kings are open to a trade of Quick, or perhaps leaving him open to Vegas, if Bishop outperforms him.

    Next: Tomas Jurco Could Be Good Fit With Chicago

    Conclusion

    In the end, I just don’t get this trade. Bishop has worse numbers than Budaj this season, and Jonathon Quick just came back with a stellar performance. This is a rental that might have cost the Kings a future NHL player in Cernak. And if this means the Kings are ready to move on without Quick, I don’t get that either.

    It also leaves the Kings without help on offense, where it is sorely needed. LA GM Lombardi has reportedly suggested that he would be unlikely to make another trade to address the position more in need (via Los Angeles Times). The Kings needed help this deadline, and it just doesn’t feel like they got it.

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