Five trade destinations to watch for Ducks’ John Gibson
No two NHL offseasons are alike. Last year gave us the Summer of Goalies, one of the position’s most robust markets in recent memory. The likes of Linus Ullmark, Jacob Markstrom, Darcy Kuemper, Logan Thompson and Yaroslav Askarov changed teams via trade, while Cam Talbot and Anthony Stolarz found significant new roles as UFA signings. And that was before Mackenzie Blackwood and Spencer Knight were traded into fresh starting gigs during the 2024-25 season.
This summer looks oh-so different. So many potential UFAs will not go to market, having already signed long-term extensions, from Thompson to Ullmark to Blackwood to Karel Vejmelka to Kevin Lankinen to Charlie Lindgren. Journeyman and steady New Jersey Devils 1B Jake Allen, 35 this August, looks like the top option on the free agent market, believe it or not.
It’s therefore an actionable item to see John Gibson populate Daily Faceoff insider Frank Seravalli’s Trade Targets board this week at No. 9, higher than any other goalie in the top 20. Gibson, 31, has appeared in trade rumors annually for about a half decade now, but his $6.4 million cap hit is no longer prohibitively expensive – for three reasons: (a) Term, not AAV, is always the sticking point, and Gibson only has two seasons left on his contract; (b) the salary cap spikes from $88 million to $95.5 million for next season; and (c) Gibson is finally back playing at the level he showed as one of the sport’s best young stars early in his career. This past season, among 53 goalies who played at least 25 games, he finished fifth in goals saved above expected per 60 minutes, right between Thompson and Andrei Vasilevskiy.
The Ducks and GM Pat Verbeek suddenly have optimal conditions to trade Gibson. His contract isn’t an albatross, he’s playing well, they have a long-term starter they can commit to in Lukas Dostal, and it’s an extreme seller’s market for goalies unlike last summer.
Assuming Gibson’s 10-team no-trade clause isn’t a problem, which teams could use his services going forward? Here are five destinations to consider.
Carolina Hurricanes
Why he makes sense: We can squint and claim Frederik Andersen was a beast in the regular season and the early part of the playoffs…or we can zoom out, acknowledge Andersen was only healthy enough to play 22 regular-season games, and point to the fact Carolina finished 26th in team save percentage this season. And while the Canes certainly lost as a team to the mighty Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final, the Canes didn’t always get the saves they really needed in that series. It would qualify as somewhat of a kneejerk reaction, particularly since the Canes just extended Andersen’s contract a year, but would they consider a veteran upgrade in hopes of getting over the top to win a Stanley Cup?
Fly in the ointment: While the Canes do have more than $28 million in projected cap space, they’ll likely use that to make significant additions at forward and on defense. They’re paying just $4.75 million total for Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov next season, which is a tough bargain to pass up. Andersen has a no-movement clause, so they’d have to send Kochetkov the other way for a Gibson deal to make sense. That would mean giving up on a 25-year-old who still possesses significant upside despite the fact he’s underachieved relative to where most thought his game would be by now. I wanted to include the Canes on this list given their goaltending is at least somewhat of a question mark, but the four teams below are more realistic suitors.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Why he makes sense: The Blue Jackets fell just short of a playoff berth this past season and, with many of their best young players starting to break out, the franchise seems to be on an upward trajectory. Late-season Jet Greaves heater aside, the Jackets’ goaltending was more of a weakness than a strength in 2024-25. Adding a veteran like Gibson could accelerate the team’s contention timeline and up their odds of making the postseason next year.
Fly in the ointment: While Columbus boasts more than $40 million in cap space, it has quite a few forwards and defensemen unsigned and will have to spend a fair amount just to fill out its roster for next season. General manager Don Waddell also has to be mindful of the numerous contract extensions on the horizon for his young RFAs: Dmitri Voronkov this summer, Adam Fantilli, Cole Sillinger and Yegor Chinakhov the next. The key to targeting Gibson may be to unload goaltender Elvis Merzlikins’ two remaining years at $5.4 million per.
New Jersey Devils
Why he makes sense: Allen performed well this past season, but the Devils could stand to get younger in net and install someone they can count on for several years. Markstrom is still around, but he’s 35 and dealt with a moderately significant knee injury in 2024-25. Because Calgary retained salary on the trade sending him to New Jersey last year, the Devils aren’t actually paying Markstrom true starter money at $4.125 million of their cap space. That means Gibson could fit as a tandem partner whether Anaheim retains or not.
Fly in the ointment: Goaltending was a positive for New Jersey overall this season, and Markstrom was particularly strong in a losing effort against the Carolina Hurricanes in Round 1. With $12.044 million in projected cap space and some legitimate needs to fill in the skater lineup, GM Tom Fitzgerald has to allocate his funds wisely. Might the Devils be better off throwing money at a middle-six center and searching for more of a bargain 1B goaltender?
Philadelphia Flyers
Why he makes sense: As my colleague Anthony Di Marco, who always has a good feel for the Flyers plans’, put it last month, GM Danny Briere has reached the juncture of his rebuild at which he’s ready to begin adding pieces even if it isn’t time for big-game hunting yet. While the Flyers have multiple promising goalie prospects in their system, there’s no telling when a Carson Bjarnason or Yegor Zavragin will be NHL ready. Philly needs puck-stopping help right now. Its three-man veteran trio is a disaster. Sam Ersson was arguably the NHL’s worst starting goalie this season, Ivan Fedorov wasn’t much better and could see some AHL time next year if he clears waivers, and Alexei Kolosov continues to induce headaches, waffling on which continent is best for his development. The Flyers could wipe the slate clean by installing a safer starter in Gibson.
Fly in the ointment: Any chance it’s still a year too soon to chase a player of Gibson’s ilk? The Flyers have their best cap flexibility in years. Perhaps they could maintain it and pursue younger assets who can become long-term fixtures rather than two seasons of Gibson in his early 30s.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Why he makes sense: Gibson is a Pittsburgh native, so a trade there would represent a homecoming. Even if the Pens shouldn’t be attempting anything resembling competitive hockey right now, it’s difficult for them to bottom out while Sidney Crosby is still around, so a Gibson trade could help remedy a major area of weakness. The Tristan Jarry era is done after a roller coaster of a 2024-25 season that included him repeatedly allowing goals on the opening shot of a game, getting demoted to the AHL and, later, being waived and clearing.
Fly in the ointment: To even consider Gibson, the Pens and GM Kyle Dubas have to sort out Jarry. Even as a buried AHL contract, his $5.375 million cap hit counted for $4.225 million. He has to go. A buyout wouldn’t be ideal; $1.747 million would almost be palatable in Year 1, but it would cost $5.047 million in Year 2 and $4.547 million in Year 3. Dubas will need to attach draft capital to move Jarry; the good news is that retained salary on Jeff Petry and Reilly Smith comes off the books now, meaning Pittsburgh has three retention slots open. Secondly: there’s a case to be made Pittsburgh needs to embrace a full tank, Crosby or no Crosby, and try not to upgrade anywhere in 2025-26. Next year’s Draft class, headlined by Gavin McKenna, looks special.
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