Confirmed with Link: Bishop signs 2 year extension ($2.300 million per year)

[IdealisticSniper]

I think it's hilarious people are up in arms over 2.3 mil but don't bat an eye at Lecavaliers abomination of a contract.

Bishop was due a raise and like several people have said, makes not much more than Lindback who is frankly not the better of these two goalies.

Would have been a nice slap in the face to Bishop to qualify him for the minimum. That's how you show confidence in a guy who you hope is going to carry your team into the playoffs next season!

Where have I posted how I love Lecavaliers contract?

And please. It's not like the guy has put his heart on his sleeve for TB. He has been here two weeks. He is being offered the chance to be a starting goalie. You qualify him or you offer him 1m per.

But that's fine. Everyone who will be complaining we have no cap space for that top an or that extra piece when we are short by 1M. He should have gotten him for cheaper. Period.

 

[Butchered]

Where have I posted how I love Lecavaliers contract?

And please. It's not like the guy has put his heart on his sleeve for TB. He has been here two weeks. He is being offered the chance to be a starting goalie. You qualify him or you offer him 1m per.

But that's fine. Everyone who will be complaining we have no cap space for that top an or that extra piece when we are short by 1M. He should have gotten him for cheaper. Period.

All I know is that 2.3 million would have been much better spent on Cory Conacher.

Cause that's pretty much what you're all about, right?

 

[LightningStrikes]

Completely missing the point man. Bishop had ZERO leverage for this contract. None whatsoever. And Yzerman still backed the Brinks truck up.

And 500k isn't an issue. How about 1.5M? We couldn't use that?

I don't think it's too much for Bishop. If you want to keep a guy and have him give 100% every night you can't just lowball him like that. And well he's been better than Lindback and he's more proven.

Crombeen's $1.15 million / year for two more years is what I don't get at all though.

 

[Butchered]

Or Carle making 5+. There's a whoooooole lotta contracts that TB has given out that deserve so much more criticism than this.

But hey, we traded unproven commodities for one another. BURN THE VILLAGE!

 

[IdealisticSniper]

All I know is that 2.3 million would have been much better spent on Cory Conacher.

Cause that's pretty much what you're all about, right?

What in the hell are you even talking about?

I don't think it's too much for Bishop. If you want to keep a guy and have him give 100% every night you can't just lowball him like that. And well he's been better than Lindback and he's more proven.

Crombeen's $1.15 million / year for two more years is what I don't get at all though.

I hate the Crombeen contract as well. These are professional athletes. If they are getting paid, no matter league minimum or league maximum, if they aren't giving 100% every night then they need to be shown the door. He's played like 10 games more than Lindback.

Don't get me wrong I like the guy, but he has shown plenty of chinks in the armor in his short time here. And frankly, the entire point of my dissatisfaction with this, is that there is no logical reason Yzerman couldn't have gotten him for less.

Or Carle making 5+. There's a whoooooole lotta contracts that TB has given out that deserve so much more criticism than this.

But hey, we traded unproven commodities for one another. BURN THE VILLAGE!

You done yet? No? Ok continue on.

 

[Coopers Gum]

I actually agree with IS. Could have qualified him for much less. That's what GMs do to like everyone. If it got to arbitration, the Lightning would've had the advantage.

 

[IdealisticSniper]

I actually agree with IS. Could have qualified him for much less. That's what GMs do to like everyone. If it got to arbitration, the Lightning would've had the advantage.

Don't worry. Ill protect you from the pitchforks.

 

[HoseEmDown]

Offer him 715k, that's not gonna work. He would just hold out like O'Reilly and we'd have Desjardins as our backup next year.
We aren't in cap trouble, we have Ohlunds contract which can go on LTIR and Prospals buyout goes away after next season which is about the price of Bishops raise.

 

[Butchered]

I actually agree with IS. Could have qualified him for much less. That's what GMs do to like everyone. If it got to arbitration, the Lightning would've had the advantage.

Totally respect your opinion but you take the risk of souring the relationship with the player. I'm not saying a relationship with a player is more important than the overall of the team but why even get the guy if you're going to instantly taint the waters? You go out and spend valuable assets to acquire the guy and then lowball him with a minimum QO? Then you take the guy to arbitration and say "Hey, this guy was good until he got here but look at his stats!" Nevermind the fact he played on a better team in Ottawa.

All you're going to do in that scenario is create bad blood. With the way things play out now, you're paying your two goaltenders next season less than 4.5 million and you're only locked in for two years. If it doesn't work, you're off the hook when Vasilevski is probably around ready to get a little bit of NHL time.

The team isn't likely to compete within 2 years so I really don't understand the harm in this contract.

 

[Off Center]

Lindback's cap hit is only $500,000 less while having less experience and worse career numbers. This is fair. Give him nothing but a qualifying offer and you run the risk of him signing and then leaving as a UFA next year or signing as an RFA with another team knowing that Yzerman would be forced to match because it would be a PR nightmare if he didn't.

Good goalies are worth a lot of money. Look at Jimmy Howard about to sign for 5.3M a year for six years.

the contract Yzerman negotiated seems like a move Jeff Vinik would endorse. yes he's a hedge fund guy, but he has made it very clear that he is a believer in treating people in a way that engenders loyalty and mutual respect. if you are trying to convince players you are the kind of organization they should aspire to play for, you don't introduce a potential long-term starter to the team by lowballing him and planning to drag him through an adversarial and somewhat demeaning arbitration process. Think about his approach to recruiting Lieweke and Yzerman, i'm sure it made an impression on both those guys.

yes, you have the ability to sit across the negotiating table and force Bishop to take near-entry-level money while possibly starting 40+ games for you next year. you also have the ability to tell bishop that you believe in his potential and will pay him the Lightning's precedented rate (Lindback's deal) for a guy at this point in his development. eventually the ball WILL be in Bishop's court, and i imagine this round of discussions will have an impact on Bishop's approach to the next one

 

[Vieille Barbe]

Meh. $4M a year tied up in two goalies, neither of whom is a proven NHL starter. It's not terrible, just a gamble. If at least one of these guys pans out, Yzerman will look brilliant. If they both fail, he looks silly. Say what you want, the guy isn't afraid to take a measured risk.

 

[Butchered]

the contract Yzerman negotiated seems like a move Jeff Vinik would endorse. yes he's a hedge fund guy, but he has made it very clear that he is a believer in treating people in a way that engenders loyalty and mutual respect. if you are trying to convince players you are the kind of organization they should aspire to play for, you don't introduce a potential long-term starter to the team by lowballing him and planning to drag him through an adversarial and somewhat demeaning arbitration process. Think about his approach to recruiting Lieweke and Yzerman, i'm sure it made an impression on both those guys.

yes, you have the ability to sit across the negotiating table and force Bishop to take near-entry-level money while possibly starting 40+ games for you next year. you also have the ability to tell bishop that you believe in his potential and will pay him the Lightning's precedented rate (Lindback's deal) for a guy at this point in his development. eventually the ball WILL be in Bishop's court, and i imagine this round of discussions will have an impact on Bishop's approach to the next one

Well said sir

 

[Hockeyfan02]

His second contract was a thanks for giving me a chance in the NHL contact. It was nothing more than an extended ELC.

That doesn't matter, it still got him closer to his arbitration rights and UFA....something Lindback didn't have coming off his previous contract. It's why his contract is more than Lindback's even though they have the same experience and stats when they signed them. When the player has more leverage, he's going to get a little more.

He and the club I believe had arbitration rights. What makes you think Bishop has done anything to warrant anything close to what he was signed for in an arbitrators eyes? It's not what will you do for me, it's what have you done for me. The answer right NOW, is not much.

I'm not sure he'd get 2.3 million and I think Yzerman could've waited until the offseason to do this. He could've found out what Bishop was going to want from arbitration, maybe signed him to a deal that's a little less of a cap hit. I doubt Yzerman was going to get him on a contract of a million max like you suggest in your earlier post if Bishop elected to go arbitration. I agree it's a bit of an overpayment, I just don't think it's an outrageous one like you're making it out to be.

 

[TurboBrick]

Meh. $4M a year tied up in two goalies, neither of whom is a proven NHL starter. It's not terrible, just a gamble. If at least one of these guys pans out, Yzerman will look brilliant. If they both fail, he looks silly. Say what you want, the guy isn't afraid to take a measured risk.

This. How much are the Flyers paying for the best goalie in the universe again?

It's a fair contract. He's tradeable if it doesn't work out, and TBL avoids potential offer sheet situation + comes out as a reasonable organization to deal with as opposed to a bunch of tight fisted ******** who pay their starting goalie less than a first round draft pick on an ELC.

 

[zeykshade]

The reputation of the organization is also valuable. Particularly when the very few employees in the pool of employees are all in the same union and talk with one another.

Having your employees tell other prospective employees how good a place to work your place is, is very valuable. Treating Bishop respectfully with this 2.3m / yr extension is, at first glance, poor economic practice. In the long run, for the culture of the organization and the Tampa Bay Lightning Brand, it's good business sense.

 

[BonkTastic]

I now Bish isn't our player anymore... but I have to say: treating players with respect in their RFA negotiations is a key key step in retaining them once they reach their UFA years.

Players don't forget how they were treated. It's one of the main reasons you see so few arbitration cases actually get to their hearing. Most teams & players see the value in NOT trashing eachother in mediation. Case in point: EVERY SINGLE ARBITRATION CASE last year was settled before their arbitration hearing.

Tampa did right by Bishop in this deal: They traded for him to be the starting goalie, and they gave him a vote of confidence towards that goal.

And besides: he's earning $2.3 mil! That puts him at what... the 28th highest paid goalie or something? It's a good deal. Good for Bish & good for Tampa.

 

[MattM92]

I now Bish isn't our player anymore... but I have to say: treating players with respect in their RFA negotiations is a key key step in retaining them once they reach their UFA years.

Players don't forget how they were treated. It's one of the main reasons you see so few arbitration cases actually get to their hearing. Most teams & players see the value in NOT trashing eachother in mediation. Case in point: EVERY SINGLE ARBITRATION CASE last year was settled before their arbitration hearing.

Tampa did right by Bishop in this deal: They traded for him to be the starting goalie, and they gave him a vote of confidence towards that goal.

And besides: he's earning $2.3 mil! That puts him at what... the 28th highest paid goalie or something? It's a good deal. Good for Bish & good for Tampa.

Bingo

 

[Coopers Gum]

I now Bish isn't our player anymore... but I have to say: treating players with respect in their RFA negotiations is a key key step in retaining them once they reach their UFA years.

Players don't forget how they were treated. It's one of the main reasons you see so few arbitration cases actually get to their hearing. Most teams & players see the value in NOT trashing eachother in mediation. Case in point: EVERY SINGLE ARBITRATION CASE last year was settled before their arbitration hearing.

Tampa did right by Bishop in this deal: They traded for him to be the starting goalie, and they gave him a vote of confidence towards that goal.

And besides: he's earning $2.3 mil! That puts him at what... the 28th highest paid goalie or something? It's a good deal. Good for Bish & good for Tampa.

Upon reflection, I have changed my opinion and agree.

 

[IdealisticSniper]

I now Bish isn't our player anymore... but I have to say: treating players with respect in their RFA negotiations is a key key step in retaining them once they reach their UFA years.

Players don't forget how they were treated. It's one of the main reasons you see so few arbitration cases actually get to their hearing. Most teams & players see the value in NOT trashing eachother in mediation. Case in point: EVERY SINGLE ARBITRATION CASE last year was settled before their arbitration hearing.

Tampa did right by Bishop in this deal: They traded for him to be the starting goalie, and they gave him a vote of confidence towards that goal.

And besides: he's earning $2.3 mil! That puts him at what... the 28th highest paid goalie or something? It's a good deal. Good for Bish & good for Tampa.

Oh good. His pay rate will reflect his standing amongst starting goalies.

I changedy mind. Yzerman did great!

 

[LTIR Trickery]

Oh good. His pay rate will reflect his standing amongst starting goalies.

I changedy mind. Yzerman did great!

Its downright impressive how you gloss over the big picture in a lot of these situations.

 

[The Wyzerhood]

I don't mind the $$ one bit. 2.3 seems right, considering the awful defense and team play we've had in front of him so far. Also, Bishop is more consistent and slightly more proven than Lindback. He's not being paid an exorbitant amount and 4.6 mil over 2 years should be the least of our concerns when it comes to staying under the cap.

 

[IdealisticSniper]

Its downright impressive how you gloss over the big picture in a lot of these situations.

The ironic thing about this comment is I'm the only one in this thread actually looking at the bigger picture.

I don't care about giving a guy who hasn't proven ****, other than he has a 5 hole the size of the Grand Canyon, extra money so that if he does in fact pan out he won't want extra money. Please. It doesn't work that way. If Bishop ends up being a number one at the end of his contract status he will easily be demanding Howard money. That's not a discount. At all.

I also find it funny that you yourself were saying they should lowball the hell out of him while they can and that it's a business. But I guess that doesn't matter now.

It's fine. It's my opinion and if everyone is fine with Yzerman handing out contracts to his own players like Feaster did then enjoy the dismantling of this team when they get good. Just like before.

1m isn't make or break, but it's a big deal when you are already close to the cap and have a LOT of things needing fixing.

 

[LTIR Trickery]

The ironic thing about this comment is I'm the only one in this thread actually looking at the bigger picture.

I don't care about giving a guy who hasn't proven ****, other than he has a 5 hole the size of the Grand Canyon, extra money so that if he does in fact pan out he won't want extra money. Please. It doesn't work that way. If Bishop ends up being a number one at the end of his contract status he will easily be demanding Howard money. That's not a discount. At all.

I also find it funny that you yourself were saying they should lowball the hell out of him while they can and that it's a business. But I guess that doesn't matter now.

It's fine. It's my opinion and if everyone is fine with Yzerman handing out contracts to his own players like Feaster did then enjoy the dismantling of this team when they get good. Just like before.

1m isn't make or break, but it's a big deal when you are already close to the cap and have a LOT of things needing fixing.

Theres a reason i'm not a GM, either. At some point you have to look at numbers and remember you're dealing with human beings and agents that are worth keeping happy for long term work and contracts.

Bringing up the idea that he'll cost Jimmy Howard money if he continues to improve is ridiculous, too... you're the one ****ing complaining about the lack of a bonafide number one, J - if this happens, i'll ****ing hand deliver his checks to to his stall in the locker room.

The fact of the matter is, you bought an extra year of him for a completely, totally reasonable amount of money with Garon coming off the books. Bishop, financially, is Garon+1m, and hes currently a .920 goaltender. Lets take a look at other goaltenders around those numbers and what they're making:

This is with a variance of half a percentage

8 James Reimer TOR 28 26 763 .925 17 5 5 62 2.36 825 3 0 1 0 1,575:17
9 Ray Emery CHI 20 18 417 .923 16 1 0 35 1.91 452 3 0 0 0 1,102:11
10 Viktor Fasth ANA 22 20 534 .922 14 5 1 45 2.16 579 3 0 0 0 1,247:56
11 Jason LaBarbera PHX 14 9 343 .922 3 6 2 29 2.61 372 0 0 0 0 665:55
12 Jonathan Bernier LAK 13 11 259 .922 9 2 1 22 1.86 281 1 0 1 0 709:00
13 Jimmy Howard DET 36 36 921 .920 17 12 6 80 2.31 1001 3 0 1 0 2,081:58
14 Ben Bishop OTT, TBL 20 19 587 .920 10 8 1 51 2.68 638 2 0 0 2 1,140:53
15 Devan Dubnyk EDM 34 33 928 .920 12 14 6 81 2.61 1009 2 0 0 0 1,863:50
16 Marc-Andre Fleury PIT 29 27 691 .919 21 6 0 61 2.26 752 1 0 0 2 1,619:17
17 Braden Holtby WSH 32 31 907 .917 20 11 1 82 2.67 989 4 0 2 2 1,846:02
18 Kari Lehtonen DAL 31 30 814 .916 14 11 2 75 2.67 889 1 0 2 0 1,686:15

Fasth makes 1 now, 2.9 next year.
Howard will make 5.3.
Dubnyk makes 3.5.
Emery 1.15, on a stacked team.
Labarbera 1.25 on a defensive oriented team.
Bernier 1.25 and needs a contract.
MAF gets 5 million.
Lethonen gets 3.55.
Reimer gets 1.8.
Holtby gets 1.85 next year.

At his price, it is completely reasonable and affordable for this team. If he ends up costing more, it means hes a ****ing stud and we have solved our goaltending issues, at which point I wouldn't hesitate to give him 5 million. Thats what we're ultimately after.

 

[MattM92]

The ironic thing about this comment is I'm the only one in this thread actually looking at the bigger picture.

I don't care about giving a guy who hasn't proven ****, other than he has a 5 hole the size of the Grand Canyon, extra money so that if he does in fact pan out he won't want extra money. Please. It doesn't work that way. If Bishop ends up being a number one at the end of his contract status he will easily be demanding Howard money. That's not a discount. At all.

I also find it funny that you yourself were saying they should lowball the hell out of him while they can and that it's a business. But I guess that doesn't matter now.

It's fine. It's my opinion and if everyone is fine with Yzerman handing out contracts to his own players like Feaster did then enjoy the dismantling of this team when they get good. Just like before.

1m isn't make or break, but it's a big deal when you are already close to the cap and have a LOT of things needing fixing.

There really isn't much big picture to consider with a 2 year contract. And it's not that we don't have to pay him if he pans out, you're either not understanding or ignoring the facts. Any GM would sign this guy for around what we did. Teams avoid arbitration because it ruins the relationship between player and team. You said it yourself, the arbitration process gets very nasty. Why take it to arbitration just to avoid paying him what he's worth? Is it worth it to lowball the guy you gave up valuable pieces for? Doesn't that undermine your own decisions? Of course he'll be pulling around 5M if he becomes a #1, but guess what? We build a solid relationship now (by giving him what he's worth) and in 2 years he's coming to us looking for that #1 contract and not testing the FA market.

In fact, I think we're looking at the bigger picture and you're worried about paying a total of 4.1 million dollars for both of our goalies for 2 years. Malone is making more by himself and he never ****ing plays.

 

[Tampacuseforever]

The ironic thing about this comment is I'm the only one in this thread actually looking at the bigger picture.

I don't care about giving a guy who hasn't proven ****, other than he has a 5 hole the size of the Grand Canyon, extra money so that if he does in fact pan out he won't want extra money. Please. It doesn't work that way. If Bishop ends up being a number one at the end of his contract status he will easily be demanding Howard money. That's not a discount. At all.

I also find it funny that you yourself were saying they should lowball the hell out of him while they can and that it's a business. But I guess that doesn't matter now.

It's fine. It's my opinion and if everyone is fine with Yzerman handing out contracts to his own players like Feaster did then enjoy the dismantling of this team when they get good. Just like before.

1m isn't make or break, but it's a big deal when you are already close to the cap and have a LOT of things needing fixing.

I think your right on, look at how much cap space we have left (and this is for a last place club). Bishop has proven nothing but we need to keep him happy ? Glad everyone is happy to play in Tampa, seems to be working so far.