Any trade for Gibson has to go through this roadblock.
At the start of the NHL offseason, there was much speculation that the Anaheim Ducks would finally move on from long-time goaltender John Gibson. The team entered a rebuild recently, and Gibson made it clear that he didn’t want to be a part of a losing squad again.
But as the months have gone on, there has been no real update about the status of Gibson. And with only a few weeks left to go until training camp, it looks like he could return to the team this season.
However, it seems that there is one thing holding back any potential move of Gibson, and that would be his remaining contract. Eric Stephens of The Athletic breaks it down.
“Does Gibson want to be traded? He probably wouldn’t mind one. Do the Ducks want to trade him? They probably would be fine with one. But there’s that contract – which once looked like something tying them together for a legacy-building run – which right now looks impossible to move with too much left in years and money on it for a netminder whose numbers, if not his stature in the eyes of a growing many, have cratered.”
It is hard enough to get fair value for a player like Gibson, but he still has multiple years left on his deal at $6.4 million a season. Most teams would want Anaheim to eat some of that salary for any move to be made, and the Ducks don’t seem likely to do that.
So, if Gibson does return to the team, it will at least give Anaheim a known commodity in the net. He is still a good goalie, but he does need to improve his stock around the NHL.
With how poor the Anaheim defenses have been recently, Gibson has seen his value start to dip. But if he performs better this season, it could make it easier for the team to move him to a contender. Stephens gives his thoughts on if Gibson could be traded this season.
“Unlikely. Sure, there was this summer’s conjecture but the reality is he needs to re-establish some value that’s been lost in these down years for himself and the team. The more competitive the Ducks are and the more that he’s fully engaged from minute one to minute 60, the greater the chances that his numbers will improve and he will have that look of a difference-maker. A John Gibson Comeback Tour will only help him and his club, regardless of whether or not he’s still in Anaheim for the long haul.”
Only time will tell what exactly happens with Gibson, but for now, he is a member of the Anaheim Ducks. He is a fan favorite, but the clock is starting to tick on his long-term future in Southern California.