Opinion: Gibson trade not needed for Ducks

Death, taxes and John Gibson trade rumors. Is a trade really necessary?

For multiple seasons now, goaltender John Gibson’s name has been bandied about in trade rumors.

The general consensus within those rumors has been that Gibson would like to play for a contender and that the Ducks would be willing to accommodate that.

Just last summer, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported that Gibson had requested a trade and had told the Ducks that he would not play another game for them. Gibson’s agent Kurt Overhardt released a statement shortly afterward denying this report and come fall, Gibson was still a Duck.

In fact, Gibson completed his 10th full season as an NHLer and a Duck in 2023-24. The numbers weren’t great, even behind a slightly improved defense compared to 2022-23’s version.

Gibson’s numbers have gradually worsened over the last several seasons. Though so too have the Ducks’ performances as a whole.

The 30-year-old became the Ducks’ head honcho in net after the 2015-16 season when the Ducks traded Frederik Andersen to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The two goaltenders had been in a timeshare for the starter’s net the previous season and it was time to hand Gibson the reins for good.

Gibson was a steadying force for the Ducks in 2016-17, with the team reaching the Western Conference Final for the second time in three seasons. However, they would fall to the Nashville Predators in six games. Gibson wouldn’t even play a role in the series' final game, hampered by a lower-body injury that caused him to leave Game 5.

A sweep at the hands of the San Jose Sharks in the first round the following season is the only “noise” the Ducks have made in the playoffs since, with their playoff-less streak reaching six seasons this past April.

The numbers for Gibson were still terrific in 2018-19, with his goals saved above expected (GSAx) a stellar 13.3, good enough for top-5 in the league. But he took a major step back in 2019-20, with his GSAx falling to -18, fourth-worst among all goaltenders. This was also the first season at the helm for head coach Dallas Eakins.

2020-21 saw Gibson start just 35 games in a shortened season due to COVID, yet he led the league in losses for the second consecutive season and sported yet another negative GSAx (-7.4). He has remained near the bottom of the leaderboard in GSAx ever since.

Despite all of this, Gibson is still a capable goaltender. His performance doesn’t quite live up to his $6.4 million cap hit anymore, but he is still serviceable.

The emergence of Lukáš Dostál limited Gibson to the lowest amount of starts he’s had since becoming the full-time starter in 2016. It’s expected that the workload will be closer to 50-50 in 2024-25, according to general manager Pat Verbeek.

Verbeek was quick to note that Gibson is “still a really good goalie” when queried about Gibson’s future by The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun this past week at Scouting Combine in Buffalo and did not comment further.

There is no doubt that Verbeek has explored the trade market for Gibson but there are obstacles that make getting a deal done plausible. His aforementioned cap hit, as well as the remaining term (three years) on the deal, is tough for many teams to swallow with the flat cap having been in effect over the past few seasons. Gibson also has a 10-team no-trade list, which may prevent some of the teams interested in acquiring him from doing so.

The Ducks are not and should not be in any hurry to move Gibson. He's well-liked in the locker room and is now one of the longest-tenured Ducks on the active roster. He could stand to benefit from a decreased workload as Dostál––who is coming off winning a gold medal at the World Championships with Czechia––continues to grow into a bigger role.

Moving Gibson would also require the Ducks to go out and get a replacement and while they would be able to bring a cheaper veteran option, a trade just to move salary isn't necessary with the Ducks not close to reaching the cap limit.

The rumors will persist for as long as Gibson is a Duck, but the opportunity to, finally, turn things around in 2024-25 may be enough to convince Gibson––and the Ducks––that a trade isn't needed after all.