In reality, Ben Bishop is no longer an NHL goaltender. Chronic knee issues forced him into a soft retirement as of December 2021, when, after 14 months attempting to rehab a knee injury, he indicated his playing days were done.
On paper, however, Bishop has one season left at a $4.917 million cap hit, which includes $3.5 million in actual salary, comprised of a $2.5 million base salary and $1 million signing bonus.
According to a report from ESPN’s Kevin Weekes, that contract is on the move. The Buffalo Sabres are close to acquiring the Bishop contract from the Dallas Stars, Weekes said Friday.
The return in the deal is not yet known. Bishop’s cap hit would help the Sabres reach the salary floor. The Sabres only have about $42 million committed to the cap so far for 2022-23.
Bishop, 35, hasn’t played since he started three games for the Stars during the 2019-20 postseason bubble tournament. He’s a two-time All-Star and three-time Vezina Trophy finalist. His 222 career victories place him 10th all-time among U.S.-born goaltenders, while his .921 career save percentage ranks fifth in NHL history, trailing only Dominik Hasek, Ken Dryden, Johnny Bower and Tuukka Rask.
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