Welcome to a new series at The Hockey Writers, where we’ll be showcasing some trade candidates from around the league. We will cover each of the four divisions along with a breakdown of forwards, defensemen, and goaltenders. Trades are one of the most entertaining aspects of the NHL and after a wild and wacky summer, let’s hope the 2022-23 season brings us much of the same.
We make our way west to the Pacific Division for today’s segment and into a division which has already undergone a ton of changes over the course of the summer. Here are three goalies who have emerged as prime trade candidates:
James Reimer, San Jose Sharks
If I was an oddsmaker, which I am certainly not, I’d have James Reimer of the San Jose Sharks as the most likely to be dealt. The veteran goalie is in the final season of his current contract and is playing for a rebuilding franchise that has already moved out one of its core players in Brent Burns. Reimer fits the bill to be next on the list.
The 34-year-old is signed to a very reasonable contract at $2.25 million per season and will have some say in the process as Reimer holds a five-team no-trade list. He shouldn’t have anything to worry about when it comes to destinations as none of the bottom-feeding teams are going to be in the market for a rental goalie at the trade deadline.
Related: 3 Atlantic Division Goalies Expected to be Traded This Season
Reimer appeared in 48 games last season for the Sharks, posting a 19-17-10 record with a 2.90 goals against average (GAA) and a .911 save percentage (SV%). Above-average numbers on a struggling team, the veteran tender will be on the radar of many Stanley Cup Playoff-bound teams in 2022-23. With 26-year-old Kaapo Kahkonen in line as the ‘goalie of the future’ in San Jose, expect to see Reimer dealt before the trade deadline next spring.
Martin Jones, Seattle Kraken
After goaltender Chris Driedger tore his ACL at the IIHF World Championship, the Seattle Kraken knew they needed to find a backup for at least four months of the 2022-23 season. Free-agent Martin Jones ended up as the selected option and now finds himself as a prime trade candidate for this upcoming season.
The 32-year-old Jones signed a one-year deal with the Kraken for $2 million. Not often do you see a struggling goaltender receive a no-trade clause, however, his agent managed to land a 10-team no-trade list for his client during contract negotiations. Foreshadowing much?
Expect to see Jones fill in and push Seattle starter Philipp Grubauer for some minutes, but once Driedger is back, it’s very likely we see the newest Kraken goalie moved before the trade deadline. Driedger was playing amazing for Team Canada at the Worlds and it’s a shame he won’t be able to use the positive momentum into his next season.
As for Jones, last season with the Philadelphia Flyers he posted a 12-18-3 record with a 3.42 GAA and .900 SV%. Certainly, a season to forget as he’ll look to hit the reset button in Seattle. For how long he remains in the water with the Kraken is the question. Keep an eye on Driedger’s return from injury, as it will all be intertwined.
John Gibson, Anaheim Ducks
Of the three goalies named today, Anaheim Ducks’ John Gibson is the least likely to be traded, however, still makes the list as a candidate for 2022-23. There have been some rumblings out of California for a few seasons now that management hasn’t been thrilled with him since he signed his massive extension, but we’ll see what this season has in store.
Gibson has gone from elite to mediocre over the course of the past few seasons and will look to get back on track in 2022-23 with a very interesting Ducks team. General manager Pat Verbeek is new on the job and showed over his first offseason that he’s not scared of a bold move, signing free-agent defenseman John Klingberg to a one-year contract worth $7 million, along with giving Ryan Strome a long-term contract.
The Ducks are a team in transition who has some serious potential. Unfortunately, potential doesn’t mean results so if things go south, look for the Gibson trade talk to hit another level. Verbeek would likely troll the waters to see what kind of interest lies in a 29-year-old goalie who has shown flashes of brilliance throughout his career but unfortunately hasn’t posted a SV% higher than .904 in three seasons. The Pittsburgh native is signed for five more years at $6.4 million annually.
Gibson holds a modified no-trade clause which protects him from 10 teams of his choice. One team we can cross off the list of potential suitors is the Toronto Maple Leafs. There was some trade buzz circulating at the beginning of this past offseason, however, Gibson’s agent quickly went public to state his client had no interest in joining the Maple Leafs and is committed to the Ducks. We’ll see how committed Verbeek is if his starting goaltender gets off to a slow start in 2022-23.
There we have it folks, another episode of trade candidates with Gibson, Jones and Reimer making the list. Two are very likely to be switching jerseys at some point in 2022-23, while the other will have a giant spotlight on his crease in Anaheim. It should be fun to watch as the puck drops on the season in a few weeks.
