The Anaheim Ducks are barrelling toward missing the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season. The NHL trade deadline has been a place for them to sell off their pieces for picks and prospects. They could be doing that again before Friday but their most valuable piece is likely to stay. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun says that the Ducks are unlikely to trade John Gibson before Friday.
“Never say never, but the two most logical destinations for the Anaheim Ducks netminder don’t appear to be fits ahead of the deadline,” LeBrun wrote.
“The Edmonton Oilers, despite Stuart Skinner’s struggles, don’t appear to see Gibson as a true upgrade and aren’t keen on his contract, which has two remaining years after this one at a $6.4 million average annual value,” LeBrun said of the defending Western Conference champs.
And the Ducks could send Gibson to the Eastern Conference, just not this week. “The Carolina Hurricanes, who had advanced trade talks with the Ducks last summer on Gibson, have had on-again, off-again dialogue with Anaheim again this season, but I don’t sense it’s likely happening before Friday’s deadline for a couple of reasons.”
LeBrun cites the improved play of Fredrick Andersen since coming back from injury and a disagreement on return between the Ducks and Canes.
When should the Ducks trade John Gibson
Trading John Gibson is not just about adding young pieces to their rebuilding core. Lukas Dostal has been excellent this season, with a .911 save percentage and a 2.87 goals-against average. At 24 years old, he is the goalie of the future, and freeing up Gibson’s salary will help add players in free agency.
Gibson’s $6.4 million cap hit expires after the 2025-26 season. There will be 15 teams who make the playoffs and don’t win the Stanley Cup who tell themselves, “If only we got a save.” That market should drive the price up and maybe bring the Hurricanes closer in terms of trade return.
Goalie trades are fairly rare at the NHL trade deadline because competing teams usually have faith in their goaltending before the postseason. The Hurricanes are a prime example of that, as this exact goalie tandem has let them down in the playoffs before. But for now, they trust Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov to get them through the playoffs.
Gibson likely won’t be on the Ducks on opening night next season, with the goalie trade market heating up in the summer. The Ducks should be selling many other pieces at the NHL trade deadline, however.
The post NHL rumors: Why Oilers, Hurricanes won’t pull off John Gibson trade with Ducks appeared first on ClutchPoints.
