Bishop: Trade to Flames was 'close,' discussed extension

Ben Bishop thought he was heading north of the border.

The Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender and his representatives were in the process of working out a contract extension with the Calgary Flames at the NHL draft, he told told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times.

That was after the Flames - then seeking an upgrade in net - received permission from the Lightning to speak to Bishop, who's entering the final year of his current deal.

Calgary ultimately decided to trade for Brian Elliott, but Bishop at least appeared to have started wrapping his mind around an imminent trade.

"It looked like for a little bit it was going to happen," Bishop told Smith." At kind of the last minute (the Flames) went out and got Elliott. It was close, but there was never ... It wasn't that close, obviously."

Bishop added, "It was a tough time. I went to Vegas for the (NHL) Awards when I found out there was a possibility I might be traded. Going to the awards and in the back of your mind worried about it. It was definitely an emotional week. In the end it didn't end up happening."

Bishop, 29, is set to carry a $5.95-million cap hit in 2016-17, and will almost certainly command a raise on his next deal. The Lightning, meanwhile, signed Andrei Vasilevskiy to a three-year, $13.5-million extension that will kick in at the beginning of next season.

Considering how well the young Russian played while filling in for an injured Bishop during the Eastern Conference finals, it's not much of a leap to think the Lightning would at least consider dealing Bishop, especially with an expansion draft on the horizon.

For the time being, however, Bishop's focus remains on Tampa Bay.

"I have a job in Tampa Bay, it's still my job. That's all I'm focusing on. If something happens, it happens."

First, Bishop will suit up for USA at the World Cup of Hockey.