Quote:
Originally Posted by Erick Estrada
If he was franchise altering the Lightning would have tried harder to keep him IMO. Let's wait and see the money/term of the contract he signs with the Stars before we determine if the Flames would have been better off with or without him.
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No, no, no. This is another move that was forced by the expansion draft. Vasilevsky, like Murray, is the goalie of the future in Tampa and is already nearly as good as Bishop at half of the cost. If you were their GM, would you re-sign a 30 year old goalie to a 6 year $6-7 million contract when you have a replacement for him right now at just $3.5 million for the next 3 years and he's all of 22 years old? Now ask that question again considering your team is already under a cap crunch because you're trying to pay some star forwards and defensemen? Which would you keep long term? Which player would you expose or let go to UFA and which would you protect?
This is pretty much a no-brainer for Yzerman. It's a tough situation, but he made the right call letting Bishop go. It doesn't reflect poorly on Bishop, it's a long-term/cap management situation.