Heartbreak & Hockey

By Monika Cook

Heartbreak, as most fans realize, comes exactly around the same time as trade deadline for some teams.  Tampa fans are definitely feeling the pain today, especially after waking up and realizing the Bishop trade was not a bad dream.  

Ben Bishop had previously played five years with the Lightning, playing in a total of 227 games out of his career total 263. Having won 131 of those, Ben seems to be a lights out goalie.  So one would wonder what sparked this trade in the first place?

Bishop led the Tampa Bay Lightning to a Stanley Cup Final in 2014-15, but his playoffs were cut short in 2015-16 after suffering an injury in the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals. With Ben being out, the Lightning turned to young goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who stepped up and filled the role greatly.

After looking at it, one would think that Bishop’s injury during the playoffs sparked a chain of reaction.  With Vasilevskiy playing well, the Lightning GM may have felt as if the young goaltender is ready to lead the Lightning team as the starting goalie.  

Another thing that wasn’t on Bishop’s side was the fact that he became a free agent as of the end of this year.  Battling cap space, the need to sign other key players, and the expansion draft looming in the distance, the Lightning needed to make some changes before the trade deadline.  

So, with the Lightning fan favorite headed to the LA Kings, the trade was not made hastily. The Lightning received Peter Budaj, Erik Cernak, and a draft choice.  Budaj, a goalie that has stepped up for the Kings while their key goalie Jonathan Quick was out on injured reserve since the first game of the 2016-17 season, can provide backup to young goaltender Vasilevskiy as well as step up if needed to be the #1 after all.  Cernak is defensemen currently playing in the OHL with the Erie Otters, with stats that make him a playmaker. (41 games, 3 goals, 14 assists)

With the trade deadline in just two days (March 1st), the Lightning made another trade today. Tampa Bay acquired Byron Froese and a 2017 second round pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Brian Boyle. It looks like Yzerman will still busy over the course of the next couple of days.

Stay tuned for more trade information!

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February 27th, 2017