Bishop wins in shootout, named AHL All-Star MVP

by Tomorrows Blues on Jan 30, 2012 10:19 PM CST

No matter what happens to Ben Bishop this season, and in the rest of his hockey career, he and the St. Louis Blues organization can look back on the 2012 AHL All-Star Weekend with pride and satisfaction.

Bishop took another big step towards establishing himself as the dominant goaltender in the AHL by turning aside ten of 11 shots by the Eastern Conference All-Stars during the third period of Monday's AHL All-Star game, then stopping all four shots he faced in the shootout to steal a come-from-behind 8-7 win for the Western Conference All-Stars.

Pro hockey's tallest goaltender earned the All-Star Most Valuable Player award for his efforts, to go along with being named the Top Goaltender in Sunday's skills competition.

Bishop was not the only Blues' prospect to stand out in Monday's All-Star Game. Rookie blueliner Cade Fairchild was honored with starting on defense for the Western Conference, and also assisted on Darren Haydar's first period tally that (briefly) tied the game at 2-all.

Veteran forward T.J. Hensick showed why he is one of the top scorers in the AHL with a goal and an assist in the game, and by beating Eastern Conference goalie Tyson Sexsmith with the very first shot in the shootout.

LINK to the official AHL game sheet.

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i like bish a lot

but of he doesnt get traded there is probably another team willing to pay him more than us.
id like to have him around in case elliott regresses.
though i dont think elliott will. id like to have the extra depth

Straight from the crazy unfiltered mind of a seventeen year-old Blues fan.
Goalie for life.
Reppin Southern Illinois.

by BulldogOshie on Jan 30, 2012 10:37 PM CST via Android app reply actions

What I think is going to happen...

…is that the Blues end up keeping Bishop around to put the Rivermen on his back and carry them as deep as he possibly can into the AHL playoffs this season. I have a feeling that Jake The Snake showed all of the Blues’ brass on Saturday, by getting touched for four goals (including a softie that Roman Turek would probably have stopped), that he still has a ways to go before he can be The Guy at that level.

Bishop is an RFA at the end of the season, not a UFA, so even if what you say is true (and it probably is), that there’s someone out there willing to pay him more than the Blues will, the Blues will still get compensation if someone decides to give Big Ben a real NHL payday.

I don’t think the Blues will trade Bishop at the deadline unless someone makes Doug Armstrong an offer that just knocks his socks off. I also don’t think they’d trade him at the draft unless, again, someone offers a first-round pick or something else of enormous value.

I think the Blues keep the asset they have, ride him as far as he will take them in the AHL playoffs, and deal with any potential return on July 1.

It’s also entirely possible that no one will make an offer that is to Bishop’s (or his agent’s) liking, and the Blues can bring him back at a modest bump next season.

Because Big Ben is a restricted free agent, the Blues still hold all the cards here. If he was a pending UFA, it’d be a different story.

"If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil."

-- Otto von Bismarck, 1851

http://futurenotes.blogspot.com

by Tomorrows Blues on Jan 30, 2012 10:58 PM CST up reply actions

I thought Bishop had to play a certain number of games before the end of the season to be a RFA. If not, great, we can do with Bishop like Detroit did with Howard. Tell him that we DO want him but tell him it is going to take a little more time.

by DallyDrake on Jan 31, 2012 9:43 AM CST up reply actions

IIRC, he has to play a certain number of games prior to the end of the season to be UNrestricted...

…I could be wrong, but in any case, I don’t see the Blues trading Bishop prior to the draft unless they get an offer that blows them away.

"If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil."

-- Otto von Bismarck, 1851

http://futurenotes.blogspot.com

by Tomorrows Blues on Jan 31, 2012 11:49 AM CST up reply actions

Per Dave Emeinain, I'm wrong...

LINK.

Not sure how that works. Per capgeek.com, Bishop is an RFA when his contract expires at the end of this season.

Howard signed his first contract in 2005, and got a total of 8 NHL games while on that contract. On his second contract, he played one NHL game in the first year, meaning that he had a total of 9 NHL games in the first four years of his contracts.

Bishop has 13 NHL games under his belt in the first four years of contractural obligation to the Blues, so I don’t understand how the Blues could be forced to give him more games to keep him restricted, at a younger age than Howard was when he was in a similar situation.

Still don’t see the Blues just giving Bishop away. They may not get much for his rights if they trade him at the deadline, but even a sixth-round pick in that circumstance would be better than nothing.

Also, it’s not guaranteed at all that someone else will offer him a contract, or that the Blues won’t re-sign him first. They might be able to get more for the younger Jake Allen in a trade scenario, depending on who the trade is made with, and that opens the door to re-sign Bishop and stash him away in Peoria for at least another year.

"If we do not prepare for ourselves the role of the hammer, there will be nothing left but that of the anvil."

-- Otto von Bismarck, 1851

http://futurenotes.blogspot.com

by Tomorrows Blues on Jan 31, 2012 12:03 PM CST up reply actions

Bob McKenzie, a notable one of "those fuckers at TSN"

Had some sort of deal a while back after the Elliott 2 year deal outlining the rule.

Once the rule was laid out, it stated that Bishop needed some odd number of games (30, I think) or he’ll qualify as a Group VI UFA at the end of the year.

No beer and no TV make Homer...something something.

by Poor College Student on Jan 31, 2012 3:39 PM CST via Android app up reply actions