A trade has been brewing for some time now...
As the Anaheim Ducks get ready for the new season, they have done a great job in building their roster over the last few years. While it hasn’t exactly translated to success on the ice, Anaheim has set itself up for future success.
They have the look of a very dangerous team down the line with the young, talented players within the organization and the draft picks they have. General Manager Pat Verbeek has been a proponent of roster flexibility moving forward and has built this team in that manner.
But as in the case of any team, there are always a few contracts on the books that organizations would love to be rid of. Writer Joe Yerdon of Bleacher Report listed long-time goaltender John Gibson as the contract that the Ducks would love to be rid of.
-“There is a bit of a snag though, because goalie John Gibson has been on the market for a trade but without any takers. That's partially due to his numbers being down the past couple of seasons but that also has to do with his contract that has four more years left on it with a $6.4 million cap hit.”
It’s not that Anaheim wants Gibson gone, but rather that his age doesn’t necessarily fit their timeline. Gibson is still a top goalie in the NHL, but his cap hit is quite a bit for a rebuilding team.
-“The cap is going to go up in the coming years, but investing a lot of money in a goalie can be a gamble for teams. While the Ducks haven't gone in the direction they thought they were headed, Gibson's contract sticks out as a small reminder of why it can go poorly.”
The positive of having a guy like Gibson on the roster is veteran experience and knowing that they will have a guy in the net who can get the job done. Many young teams have big questions about the goalie position, but Anaheim has stayed the course with Gibson.
It remains to be seen if the Ducks do end up moving on from their long-time netminder, but one thing is clear. He has been one of the better players for this team for quite some time, and they will want a nice haul to part ways.
Maybe a Gibson trade will come down the pipeline shortly, or maybe it will take another year. Either way, it’s unlikely that he will finish his contract with the Ducks.