For the first time since the 2015-16 season, when John Gibson challenged and split goaltending duties with Frederik Andersen, the Anaheim Ducks will have a competition between the pipes when training camp opens in September. Gibson, who has reigned supreme in the Ducks crease for almost 10 seasons, was pushed heavily by Lukáš Dostál in 2023-24. So much so that the latter earned more starts down the stretch and made his case to be the “everyday” goaltender over Gibson.
It leaves Gibson and the Ducks in a precarious position. At 31, the talented netminder presumptively has a lot left in the tank. Conversely, however, the goaltender of the future is waiting in the wings and has given the organization a preview of his own skill and potential. While the truth is that Gibson’s talent would be far more effective on a better team (which is why he’s been the subject of tireless trade rumors for years now), having two goalies that can handle big workloads isn’t a bad thing. What gives? Today, let’s make the case both for trading Gibson and keeping him.
Ducks Couldn’t Maximize Gibson’s Prime
Last week I compared Gibson to Cam Fowler in that a majority of their prime years as hockey players were spent during the Ducks’ steep decline from a Stanley Cup-contending club to a league-worst one from 2018-2023. During these years, the Ducks endured profound personnel changes such as the buy-out of Corey Perry and retirements of the oft-injured Ryan Kesler and longtime captain Ryan Getzlaf. Not to mention the turnover of major pieces that should have kept the Ducks more competitive, but didn’t, including Hampus Lindholm, Josh Manson, Rickard Rakell, Brandon Montour, Sam Steel, Nick Ritchie, and others. Then, there are the historical lows, such as an NHL history-worst defense and goal-differential in 2022-23.
The five seasons from 2018-19 to 2022-23 were Gibson’s ages-25-30 season. Those are the years you want to optimize. But as the years went by, he had less in front of him: namely in goal support and defense departments. While his statistics don’t paint a flattering picture, his athletic and acrobatic style of goaltending was often the only reason the Ducks didn’t lose more during this period than they did.
He isn’t blameless, of course. He’s endured many off nights. He let in many goals he shouldn’t have. He probably cost the Ducks a few games here and there. Oftentimes, his body language suggests that he’s playing the game with a nonchalance that borders on indifference. However, no goalie has faced more shots over the last few seasons than him, so it is kind of hard to blame him fully, right?
The Ducks have made three playoff appearances in his tenure as starter, including a deep run to the 2017 Western Conference Final, where they lost to the Nashville Predators in six games. He proved his worth even earlier than that, when he made a surprise appearance in the Ducks’ 2014 second round playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings as a 20-year-old. He got two huge wins to keep the Ducks alive in that series. Despite the limited sample size, he has shown his ability to come up big in big moments. It’s a shame we haven’t seen that from him in six seasons, but it begs the question of when, or if, there’s a team out there that does want Gibson in their net for meaningful games. Given that, let’s get into the reasons the Ducks should engage in trade talks for ‘Gibby’.
Trade Him Because: Return Could Be Decent (But Difficult to Net)
If you can get past the statistics that suggest Gibson is a below-average goaltender, the eye test alone suggests that he has plenty to offer a number of teams looking for greater talent or depth in net. Some grace needs to be given, because no starting goalie for teams at the bottom of the league have great stats, and the Ducks have been there for multiple seasons now. He just turned 31, meaning he should have plenty of hockey left in him. He’s big, athletic, and fast. He’s demonstrated a unique ability to keep the Ducks, widely considered one of the weakest defensive teams in the NHL, competitive in games. And while it’s been some time since he’s tasted playoff hockey, he does have experience in that arena, too. For these reasons, he’d be an upgrade over a number of starting goalies, which is why the return for a player like him could be decent.
There’s no reason a middle-six forward, second-pairing defenseman, or a decent draft pick shouldn’t be in play for his services. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy for general manager Pat Verbeek to get that. Gibson has suffered a number of injuries over the years and was outplayed in the latter stages of the 2023-24 season by Dostál. He also carries a cap hit of over $6 million until he’s 33. And while he does have playoff experience as I mentioned, there’s no telling what kind of performances he will deliver in big moments because he hasn’t sniffed playoff hockey since 2018. If you’re a team in the market for a goaltender, you can believe in the talent, but best make sure you have the financial and personnel flexibility, and risk profile, to accompany that belief.
Trade Him Because: It’s Time to Hand Reins to Lukáš Dostál
If you’re Verbeek, the second reason to part with Gibson would be to officially begin the Dostál era in Anaheim. Given the latter’s age alignment with the rest of the roster, it’s an inevitability that he will be the guy. He proved capable of it throughout his first season with a significant workload. With the same guys in front of him, Dostál had the better season in almost all categories. Ultimately, it becomes futile to delay his career when this is the case.
Related: Ducks: Appreciating Dostál’s Record Night Against Maple Leafs
If handing the reins to Dostál is where the Ducks go, they could keep Gibson as the backup. It’s not the worst idea to have two NHL-ready goaltenders on the roster. But that’s expensive, and for Gibson, being the backup or a 1B on a rebuilding team is worse than being the starter on a rebuilding team. In all likelihood, a trade puts him in a better and more competitive hockey situation. However, let’s now look at the reasons it might be worth keeping him.
Keep Him Because: The Ducks Aren’t Deep With NHL-Ready Goaltenders
Goaltending has always been a strong position for the Ducks in their 30-year history. From Guy Hebert to Jean-Sébastien Giguère, Jonas Hiller, Andersen, and Gibson, there hasn’t been a point in time where goaltending was a problem. That remains true today, where the future of the position for the organization seems secure. The Ducks’ goalie pipeline, excluding Dostal, includes Tomas Suchanek, Calle Clang, and Damien Clara, to name a few.
None of these goalies are NHL-ready, though, and it will be a while before they are. Moreover, not all of them will become NHL-caliber goaltenders. So, unless the Ducks find a veteran backup in the event they trade Gibson, then they will suddenly become thin at the position. It’s easy to see how holding onto Gibson makes more sense, at least until Dostál proves he can consistently handle a starter’s workload. He appeared in 44 games last season, but he’ll need to do that, or more, again to prove he can handle the responsibilities. That’s incentive enough to keep Gibson in the fold.
Keep Him Because: He Is Immensely Talented
Let’s finish with the most obvious reason not to trade him: his on-ice abilities. Gibson is supremely athletic and talented. He has never really gotten any consideration for the Vezina Trophy, but he is lauded by his organization, teammates, and in league circles. And though Dostál outplayed him last season in the second half, an argument can be made that Gibson still gives the Ducks a better chance to win each night, given his experience and poise between the pipes. Unless a player is bad for the organization, or there’s a distinct advantage that can be gained by trading him, then moving on from a player like that is hard to justify.
Ducks Don’t Need to Rush a Decision on Gibson and Dostal
Every organization reaches a point where it must move on from its veteran goaltender. If the Ducks have not reached that point, then they are probably close. Head coach Greg Cronin started the young Dostál 38 times last season. Going forward, it doesn’t make sense to give him any less than that, but if Gibson is healthy and has a solid training camp, will he be okay with splitting starts? He strikes me as an unselfish player and will do what is best for the team, but there’s no denying he still has starting goaltender talent and therefore a lot to offer. There are arguments for and against trading him, and we’ll see what Verbeek does with the longtime Ducks starter, if anything. After all, there are far more important lineup questions to address. Stay tuned.
What do you think the future holds for Gibson? Let us know in the comments below!
