Where will Anaheim go this offseason?
Where will Anaheim go this offseason?
As the 2023 NHL Draft quickly approaches, the Anaheim Ducks have some decisions to make. Not only about who they will select with their draft picks this week but how they want to approach free agency going forward and how their roster will look next season. One of those decisions will directly involve long-time goalie John Gibson and whether or not he will be with the team after the offseason.
Gibson is under contract for another four years, averaging about $6.4 million per season. It has been heavily reported that the veteran goalie may be looking to leave Anaheim this offseason after a few years of losing so the team will need to decide what to do there.
Corey Pronman of The Athletic seems to believe that the Ducks biggest need as the NHL Draft approaches is there goaltending situation.
-"The Ducks have done a great job getting centers and defensemen they can build around in recent drafts, and likely will get another elite center prospect at No. 2. They do need a goalie of the future though. Lukas Dostal is a good prospect, but not a sure thing, and John Gibson’s days in Anaheim seem numbered."
Even if Gibson stays with the team after this summer, the team will need to figure out a long-term solution. Gibson makes a decent amount of money and while his play is still very solid, his numbers have dropped a bit.
The Ducks may benefit from trading Gibson now, while his value is still high. They then can go forward and possibly draft a goalie for the future or look around the league for different options.
Anaheim has their work cut out for them this offseason, starting with the upcoming draft in a few days. What they do remains an unknown but that is part of the excitement.