NHL Notes: Stars Sign Goalie Ben Bishop to 6-year, $29.5M Deal

FRISCO, Texas -- The Dallas Stars have signed goaltender Ben Bishop to a six-year, $29.5-million deal.

General manager Jim Nill announced the terms Friday, less than a week after acquiring rights to the 30-year-old Bishop from the Los Angeles Kings for a fourth-round pick in next month's draft. Bishop was set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer had Dallas not signed him before July 1.

The Stars see the two-time Vezina Trophy finalist as their new starter in net after using both Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi last season, when they failed to make the playoffs. Those two goalies are under contract for next season at a combined $10.4 million. The combined buyouts for both would be about $3.5 million.

The 6-foot-7 Bishop played just seven games after the Kings acquired him from Tampa Bay to play alongside Jonathan Quick. Since-fired Kings general manager Dean Lombardi engineered the trade to create an elite goaltending duo that would allow the Kings to rest Quick, who was returning from a major injury.

Los Angeles still failed to make the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. Bishop went 2-3-2 with a 2.49 goals-against average.

Bishop spent parts of the past five seasons with the Lightning, reaching the 2015 Stanley Cup Final. He finished second in the Vezina voting in 2016 after getting selected for the All-Star Game. Bishop also has played for Ottawa and St. Louis (see full story).

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Ovechkin played through hamstring, knee injuries in playoffs
ARLINGTON, Va. -- Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin played through hamstring and knee injuries that hampered him in the playoffs.

Ovechkin says he felt something in his hamstring during Game 3 of the second-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins and needed injections to numb the pain the rest of the way. A hit by Toronto's Nazem Kadri in Game 5 of the first round caused the left knee injury, which Ovechkin downplayed.

The 31-year-old captain had eight points in 13 playoff games as Washington was eliminated before the conference finals for the ninth time in as many chances. At the Capitals' exit-day meetings Friday, he didn't say how badly the injuries affected his play but they were bad enough not to play for Russia at the world championships.

New Jersey Devils sign forward Jesper Bratt to 3-year deal
NEWARK, N.J. -- The New Jersey Devils have signed forward Jesper Bratt to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The Devils announced the signing of their 2016 sixth-round draft pick on Friday.

The 18-year-old Bratt spent the last four seasons in Sweden with the AIK organization. He had six goals and 16 assists last season, and added a goal and an assist in the postseason.

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