4 Updated Potential Trade Destinations for Ducks Goalie John Gibson
Anaheim Ducks goalie John Gibson has been a topic of trade speculation for a couple of years now and this offseason has proven to be no different.
Things really started to reach a boiling point over the weekend when hockey insider Frank Seravalli said on a podcast that Gibson had requested a trade and did not intend to play for the team ever again. Gibson's agent responded with a scathing statement saying no such thing ever happened and that his client is still proud to be a Duck.
Even if Gibson didn't request a trade, there is still a logical argument to be made that the Ducks should at least explore it.
There was a time in Gibson's career when he was a top-tier goalie and one of the best players in the league at his position.
That time, unfortunately for him and the Ducks, seems to have passed. When combined with his contract (four years remaining with a $6.4 million per year salary-cap hit) and the ongoing state of the Ducks' rebuild, it makes him a logical trade candidate
Over the past four years, Gibson's play and production have placed him near the bottom of the league's goaltending leaderboards.
Since the start of the 2019-20 season, his .902 all-situations save percentage ranks 33rd out of 42 goalies that have played at least 100 games during that time. His .909 even-strength save percentage places him 36th out of that group.
There are two ways to look at it.
One is that Gibson has simply regressed and is not the goalie he once was.
The other is that playing behind one of the worst teams in the league over the past couple of years has severely impacted his production and that playing behind a better team could help him get back on track.
So let's take a look at some potential options and trade destinations that could help with that.
Edmonton Oilers
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How about a good old fashioned goalie swap to give everybody involved a fresh start?
The Oilers were hoping that Jack Campbell could solve their goalie problem and signed him to a long-term contract worth $5 million per year during the 2022 offseason.
The first year of that contract? A complete disaster. Campbell ended up getting benched in the playoffs and now the Oilers are stuck with a goalie and a contract they probably don't want.
The money is very similar and simply gives both Gibson and Campbell a chance to start fresh in new environments.
Maybe that's what both players need.
Gibson would have an opportunity to play for a contender, the Oilers could roll the dice that playing on a better team helps him get back to his previous form and the Ducks could get a little bit of salary-cap help on the swap ($6.4 million versus $5 million) and maybe get another asset back in return.
Perhaps Anaheim could get even more creative and take another contract back (for an additional draft pick or prospect) to help the Oilers out of their salary-cap crunch.
New Jersey Devils
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The Devils were already one of the best teams in the NHL a year ago and are positioned to be even better this season.
They defend as well as any team in the league and are going to have a full season of Timo Meier and Ondrej Palat for their forward group while also adding Tyler Toffoli this offseason.
It is a loaded roster that does not have many weaknesses.
The one potential weakness might be in goal where they have Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid set to occupy the position. They're serviceable, but it is worth asking if it is a Stanley Cup-winning duo.
This would be an interesting scenario to see if Gibson could bounce back.
The Devils are one of the best shot and scoring-chance suppression teams in the league. The team does a great job insulating their goalies. Combined with the potential offensive firepower they have, this could be as close to an ideal situation for a goalie as you will find in the NHL, especially one that is trying to bounce back after a few down years.
Even after its offseason spending, New Jersey still has some salary-cap cushion (the benefit of getting your stars like Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier signed to bargain contracts) and has a deep farm system that could provide some intriguing trade bait. It would require the Devils to roll the dice and hope for Gibson to reverse his recent trend, but it might be an intriguing option.
Los Angeles Kings
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The Kings are, in a lot of ways, the Western Conference version of the Devils.
A deep team at forward, a strong defensive team that limits chances against and plays championship-caliber hockey at even strength. But like New Jersey, it's a team that has some serious questions in goal.
The difference between the Kings and the Devils is that while the Devils at least have the potential for a league-average duo, the Kings have no such potential.
Los Angeles had one of the worst goalie situations in the league during the 2022-23 season, which made their overall record and place in the standings even more impressive. Joonas Korpisalo helped solidify the position after the trade deadline, but he was always going to be a rental and eventually signed with the Ottawa Senators in free agency.
That leaves the Kings with Pheonix Copley, Cam Talbot and David Rittich as the NHL goalies on their roster.
Can you seriously call yourself a Stanley Cup contender with that situation at the most important and impactful position on the ice?
The Kings still need to do something here, and they need to do something significant.
Like New Jersey, the Kings would give Gibson a pretty strong chance at a rebound given the talent and style of play around him.
The problem is going to be if the Ducks would be willing to trade Gibson within the division and to a rival. That might jack up the price in trade talks.
Buffalo Sabres
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The Buffalo Sabres were so close to finally ending their playoff drought during the 2022-23 season, and with even marginally better goaltending they probably would have done it.
The expectation for the 2023-24 season should be, at a bare minimum, a playoff appearance.
This is one of the most exciting teams in the league and it is blooming with young, impact talent. Tage Thompson has become a star, the defense has a couple of future Norris contenders in Rasmus Dahlin (who already is a Norris contender) and Owen Power, and they have more help on the way.
They also have one of the best young goalie prospects in the league in Devon Levi who showed a lot of promise in his brief cup of coffee with the Sabres at the end of this past season.
But is he ready to be the guy over the course of a full 82-game season?
This is a scenario where bringing in a veteran that can split time with him or push him for playing time (or even just serve as a safety net in the event he needs more time to develop) might be a good idea. Gibson's contract might be problematic, but there are always ways around that and ways for teams to make the money work.
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