In today’s edition of Stat Hockey’s NHL News & Rumours there is a big extension to discuss in St. Louis and a former top goaltender in the league re-entering the frame for the Dallas Stars.
Then there’s good injury news for the Calgary Flames while the Chicago Blackhawks lose a bigger piece for the first couple of months of the season.
Ben Bishop Hired as Player Development Coordinator
Less than a year after trying to make a comeback and ending his on-ice hockey career, Ben Bishop is back in a role in the NHL with the Stars. Saad Yousef of The Athletic reports that Bishop will be the new player development coordinator. His last game came for Texas of the AHL before calling it a career. He was not able to play last season for the Stars and his contract which has one year remaining was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in June.
Jim Nill announced today that Ben Bishop has been hired as player development coordinator, and Sam Lites has been named director of organizational analysis.
— Saad Yousuf (@SaadYousuf126) September 12, 2022
Bishop was one of the top goaltenders during his career and finished with a record of 222-128-36. He ended with a stellar .921 career SV% and was actually better in the playoffs. His team qualified for the playoffs just four times in his career, and he took the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup Final in 2015. He also was a Vezina finalist on three occasions. As a player development coordinator, Bishop can help Jake Oettinger, one of the best young goaltenders in the league, thrive and grow even more.
Blackhawks Down a Defenceman for First Few Months
The Blackhawks will be without defenceman Jake McCabe for the next 10-12 weeks, projecting his return in late-November. He underwent cervical spine surgery and needs time to recover before joining the team, as reported by Charlie Roumeliotis.
The Blackhawks signed Jack Johnson a month ago to a one-year deal. Considering Roumeliotis mentions that the team knew about McCabe needing the surgery for a while, the signing makes sense. It will also provide a prospect to earn some playing time at the beginning of the season for the rebuilding Blackhawks.
Blues Sign Kyrou to Big Extension
The Blues lock up another piece in Jordan Kyrou who fits into their long-term plans. He signed an identical contract to the one Robert Thomas signed on the first day of free agency. Kyrou is heading into the final year of his deal that holds a cap hit of $2.8 million. Once his 8-year contract kicks in, he will be making $8.125 million per season for eight years.
Per Blues, Kyrou extension is identical to Thomas: 8 years, $65 million ($8.125 AAV). #stlblues
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) September 13, 2022
Locking up another young player to a big long-term deal means that one or two of Vladimir Tarasenko, Ryan O’Reilly, or Ivan Barbashev will likely be headed to a new team in free agency after the season. Kyrou took a massive step last season, going from 35 points in 2020-21 to 75 points and finishing over a point per game in 2021-22. His role will increase more and he is a dynamic player offensively with strong contributions defensively.
Tanev Healthy & Good to Go for Flames
Training camp opens next week and the Flames get some good news. Chris Tanev is fully recovered and will be ready. He missed four games in last season’s playoffs before returning to Calgary’s lineup for the final two games against the Edmonton Oilers.
Some good news for the #Flames D core ahead of training camp 😤🔥 pic.twitter.com/SbueNzWPmr
— FlamesNation (@FlamesNation) September 13, 2022
He confirmed in May that he would undergo surgery to fix a torn labrum which would keep him out 4-6 months. It is nearly four months later and his recovery went quicker than expected. Tanev is a strong defensive presence and was missed in those four games he sat out for. He fits into a key defensive role for the Flames once again.
Related: NHL News & Rumours: Flames, Canadiens, Avalanche, Sharks
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