John Gibson Assigned to Norfolk Admirals by Anaheim Ducks: Reaction and Analysis

In what appears to be a granting of a request from John Gibson, the Anaheim Ducks have sent the 21-year-old netminder to their AHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals. The Admirals have games on Friday and Saturday, and it's presumed that Gibson will start in both after giving up six goals to the Pittsburgh Penguins while starting in Anaheim's first game of the 2014-15 season.

It's likely that Gibson requested the move out of a desire to get some playing time and under the assumption that Frederik Anderson will get starts for the Ducks on both Friday and Sunday night.

Gibson is said to be returning to the team after the Admirals' game on Saturday.

In the meantime, Jason LaBarbera will serve as Anderson's backup.

What does this mean for the Ducks' goaltending situation? Is Anderson cementing his role as Anaheim's No. 1 netminder, or will Gibson get to pick up where he left off as a legitimate contender for that spot?

Anderson's Numbers

If Gibson did indeed request the move to shake out some butterflies, speculation about Anderson's ascent should be kept in check.

However, it's impossible to ignore what Anderson has accomplished during the first three games he's played this year.

GP	Wins	GAA	PCT
3	3	1.95	.928

First, Anderson has won all three of those games, something Gibson hasn't done in the last three games he's started dating back to last season's playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings.

Additionally, a 1.95 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage are compelling stats and aren't likely to be ignored by the Anaheim coaching staff.

So in a recent, albeit small, sample size, Anderson is the clear favorite—or at least the "hot hand."

Gibson's Struggles

Chris Carlson/Associated Press

It is, however, unfair not to point out that Gibson was thrown into an incredibly high-pressure situation last year because of Anderson's injury in the playoff series against the Kings.

That said, Gibson just hasn't looked good in his last two starts while allowing a total of 14 goals in his last three. You don't win jobs in the NHL as a goaltender with numbers like that. And while those games might be statistical outliers for Gibson, giving him some time to settle down and play at the AHL level makes a lot of sense.

It also speaks well of Gibson's ability to know where he's at in his development and what he needs to do to be competitive.

So sure, he has struggled. But I don't believe that means he's in head coach Bruce Boudreau's doghouse.

Moving Forward

Gibson's hiatus will be temporary.

Thus we should expect him to continue to compete with Anderson for Anaheim's No. 1 goaltending spot. However, we can also expect Gibson to be on a bit of a tight leash during his next few starts at the NHL level.

If it's a confidence issue, he'll recover and be fine. If he's just not ready to play at the NHL level, don't expect Boudreau to continue putting him out there and letting him struggle.

Stats courtesy of Hockey-Reference.com

Bobby Kittleberger writes about Ducks hockey at The Anaheim Project. Keep up with him on Twitter at @robertwilliam9.