NHL Hot Seat Radar: High Salaries Put Pressure on Zegras and Gibson to Perform Big or Be Shipped Out of Anaheim

It is time for the final off-season edition of THN.com’s Hot Seat Radar series. In this file, we’re examining the Anaheim Ducks.

In each edition of the Hot Seat Radar series, we identify someone on the 'hot seat' who's dealing with a notable amount of pressure to produce positive results or face consequences that could jeopardize their relationship with their team and overall position. We're also pointing out someone on the 'cold seat' who's untouchable and will be around for the long run. (And financial data in this series comes via The Hockey News’ roster and salary cap site, THN Lineups.)

The Ducks missed the Stanley Cup playoffs for the sixth consecutive season in 2023-24, and GM Pat Verbeek has clearly opted for the long-term rebuild many observers believed they needed. Here’s who we think occupy the seats in Anaheim:

With all the losing the Ducks have been doing in recent years, you can see why players would be unhappy with the team’s predicament. And although they’re not the same type of individual, Zegras and Gibson likely would welcome a trade out of Anaheim.

Zegras’ first year with a $5.75-million salary was a disaster, as his offense totals fell from 23 goals and 65 points in 81 games in 2022-23 to six goals and 15 points in 31 games this past season. Even if you grant him some empathy due to a broken ankle in 2023-24, that’s still a serious drop-off in points per game. And when you make nearly $6 million per season – on a contract that still has two years left on it – you’re talking about unfulfilled potential. For that reason, there will be no shortage of potential suitors for Zegras, but Verbeek may wait until the 2024-25 campaign unfolds before he moves the 23-year-old out of town.

Meanwhile, the 31-year-old Gibson – who has three years left on his contract at a $6.4-million cap hit – posted a bloated 3.54 goals-against average and .888 save percentage in 46 games in 2023-24. Some of that can be chalked up to a terrible team he played behind, but like Zegras, Gibson’s play is graded poorly in no small part due to his lucrative salary. Verbeek may have no choice but to retain some of Gibson’s salary if he wants to move him.

Zegras hasn't got any no-trade or no-movement protection, and Gibson has only a modified no-trade clause allowing him to veto a trade to 10 teams of his choice, so Verbeek can’t make any excuses about his hands being tied in any potential trade. 

Despite having several talented youngsters now in tow, the Ducks are going to be hard-pressed to make the post-season this coming year, and Zegras and Gibson may wave the white flag and request a move to a new team. One of the two may stick around for the long term – probably Zegras, if we had to guess – but we’d be surprised if both Gibson and Zegras remain Ducks by the end of 2024-25.

Verbeek hasn’t spent the Ducks’ cap space frivolously, and for that reason, Anaheim currently has a whopping (and a league-high) $21.7 million in cap space. The Ducks are just barely over the league-minimum $65-million cap floor, and while that gives Verbeek plenty of flexibility to add veteran help during the season, he’s also added many youngsters including Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier and Mason McTavish who will be central components in their competitive blueprint.

Verbeek has been on the job as GM for only two-and-a-half seasons, and he’s got all kinds of runway left for him to flesh out his game plan for the organization. He has to get the team to show some degree of improvement this coming year, but Ducks ownership isn’t going to put its foot on Verbeek’s neck and ratchet up the pressure on him exponentially. Patience is the name of the game in Anaheim, and Verbeek is comfortable knowing he’s going to be in the Ducks’ seat of power for quite some time.