from Lyle Richardson at The Hockey News,

Entering 2016-17, the future is uncertain for Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Ben Bishop and San Jose Sharks center Patrick Marleau. Both are eligible next summer for unrestricted free agency and it remains to be seen if they have a place in the long-term plans of their respective clubs.

Bishop, 29, is considered among the league’s elite goalies. He was a finalist last season for the Vezina Trophy, backstopping the Lightning to the 2015 Stanley Cup final and the 2016 Eastern Conference final.

Marleau, who turns 37 on Sept. 15, is entering his 19th NHL season with the Sharks. With 25 goals and 48 points in 2015-16, he exceeded 44 points for the 16th time and 20 goals for the 13th time. He also helped the Sharks reach the Stanley Cup final for the first time in franchise history.

The Lightning’s limited salary cap space beyond 2016-17, the need to re-sign key forwards Nikita Kucherov, Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat and Jonathan Drouin and competition from promising goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy will affect Bishop’s future in Tampa Bay. For Marleau, his age and recent decline in production could lead to his potential departure from San Jose.

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