John Gibson Might Be Exactly What Penguins Are Looking For
The Pittsburgh Penguins need a goalie change and John Gibson might be the perfect option.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have many issues that need to be sorted out this offseason if they have any plans of again competing for the Stanley Cup.
One of the primary problems that plagued the Penguins in 2022-23 was their goaltending; both Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith struggled at numerous points in the season.
DeSmith did everything he could in his role as backup and part-time starter, but Jarry was a massive letdown in the final year of his contract.
The Penguins made waves by hiring Kyle Dubas as their newest president of hockey operations, and he stated in his opening press conference that he will address the goalie situation head-on.
Dubas will work closely with goalie coach Andy Chiodo to not only get a deep evaluation of Jarry, but also scope out what is in the marketplace for that position.
According to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, Anaheim Ducks goalie (and Pittsburgh native) John Gibson has again requested a trade.
It seems ever since Gibson broke into the NHL in the mid-2010s, he’s been linked to joining the Penguins.
Is this the kind of difference maker of a first move Dubas makes with the organization? Gibson is a good goalie who deserves a chance on a better team.
Over his 10-year career, Gibson have notched a 180-179-59 record; those numbers might not seem outstanding, the team in front of his hasn’t been much help.
The Ducks have made the postseason only four times with Gibson between the pipes and he wasn’t the full-time starter for two of them.
For the most part, Gibson isn’t to blame for the Ducks postseason absences; he’s also posted a career 2.83 goals against average and .912 save percentage.
The asking price from the Ducks and the dollar amount on his contract might be steep, but Gibson might be the perfect goalie to not only bolster the lineup now, but also lead the help clear the path for goalie prospect Joel Blomqvist in his development.
If Blomqvist lives up to his expectations, the Penguins don’t need to find a goalie that will hold down the fort for more than a couple of seasons.
The Penguins do, however, need a goalie that can win now while the core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang are still at their level of play.
Gibson could bring that.
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