Ben Bishop declares himself ready to return

Ben Bishop says he's ready to return to the Tampa Bay Lightning lineup.

The Lightning goalie was a full participant at practice Wednesday, and afterward declared himself "ready to go," according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times.

He's been sidelined since late December with a lower-body injury.

Erik Erlendsson of Lightning Insider expects Bishop to make a start on their upcoming two-game homestand versus either the Buffalo Sabres or Columbus Blue Jackets.

Bishop's performance over the next six weeks will be a point of interest across league circles. The netminder is scheduled for unrestricted free agency this summer, and the Lightning have until the March 1 trade deadline to receive value on a potential deal.

Bishop has posted poor numbers this season after a runner-up finish in the Vezina Trophy voting last year. He has nine wins from 22 appearances with a .907 save percentage.