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After recovering from an emergency appendectomy that sidelined him since early October, John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks recently made his season debut. The 31-year-old goaltender looked good, winning his first three games.
Gibson’s return to action prompted The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun to ponder the netminder’s value in the trade market. He’s regularly surfaced in the rumor mill over the last two seasons. However, his $6.4-million annual cap hit through 2026-27 and the decline in his stats backstopping the rebuilding Ducks has hurt his trade value.
Nevertheless, LeBrun thinks there would be interest in Gibson if the Ducks retained half of his average annual value. The Ducks were unwilling to do so in the past, but with just two seasons left on his contract, they might be open to it this time. Lukas Dostal’s emergence as a starting goalie could provide an additional incentive to move Gibson.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman noted that Gibson has a 10-team no-trade clause, but he’s willing to consider more trade options. However, he believes the veteran netminder must stay healthy.
LeBrun suggested the Carolina Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche could use some help between the pipes. The Hurricanes’ oft-injured starter Frederik Andersen is sidelined again, and management is concerned about their goalie depth should Pyotr Kochetkov get banged up.
Meanwhile, the Avalanche tandem of Alexandar Georgiev and Justus Annunen has been struggling this season. LeBrun believes they’ll remain patient with them for now, recalling how well Georgiev performed in last year’s playoffs.
Turning to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Sportsnet’s Luke Fox believes Auston Matthews’ injury highlights their need to bolster their depth at center. He thinks they’ll be hard-pressed to make headway in the playoffs if one of their centers gets knocked out of the lineup.
Fox singled out the Leafs’ third line as a “hodgepodge of forwards who can’t score.” He indicated Max Domi had difficulty centering that line before his recent injury. His suggested trade targets include pending UFAs like the New York Islanders’ Brock Nelson, the San Jose Sharks’ Mikael Granlund and the Anaheim Ducks’ Frank Vatrano.
Nelson won’t be moved as long as the Islanders remain in playoff contention. The others could be available as they’re playing on non-contenders. However, the Leafs could find it difficult to outbid other clubs for their services near the March 7 trade deadline.
Related: With Leafs’ Marner Thriving, Toronto Brass Must Convince Him To Take Team-Friendly Extension
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