Last year, Ducks goaltender John Gibson didn’t exactly hide his frustration with Anaheim being a non-playoff team. With a rebuild squarely in the works now, some have wondered if he’d be looking for a move this summer. Asked exactly that by Eric Stephens of The Athletic, the veteran tried to pour cold water on that idea:
No. I want to win in Anaheim. I’ve been here and I’m happy to be here.
It wasn’t that long ago that the 28-year-old was viewed as one of the top goalies in the league but Gibson has had his struggles over the past few seasons. Over the last three years, his save percentage has been either .903 or .904, marks that were below the NHL average. He struggled mightily over the final three months of the season, posting a save percentage of just .876 as the Ducks went from being in the playoff mix to missing the postseason by 21 points.
Anaheim has missed the playoffs for the last four years and they haven’t made it past the first round since 2017 and there’s a good chance those streaks are extended next season following the exodus of several key veterans including defensemen Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson, winger Rickard Rakell, and long-time captain Ryan Getzlaf.
However, there is a young nucleus in place headlined by centers Trevor Zegras and Mason McTavish, winger Troy Terry, and defenseman Jamie Drysdale. They will be able to add to that this summer with a pair of selections in the first round including the tenth-overall pick while they enter the offseason with over $39MM in cap space, per CapFriendly. Brighter days should be on the horizon soon and it appears Gibson wants to still be around at that time:
When I signed my extension in Anaheim however many years ago, I said I’d be honored to play in the same city and be a part of the same organization my whole career. I still have all my intentions on doing that.
Gibson has five years remaining on his contract with a $6.4MM cap hit so if the Ducks are willing to keep him around that long, he won’t be leaving Anaheim for quite a while.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Agent needs to tell John not to go online so much.
Your agent should employ the same strategy.
Oilers need to call Verbeek and ask what he wants and then give it to them.
He’s way overrated!
What is his rating?
This guy would be top 10 on a decent team (Oilers, Devils, Stars, Kings) but he’s been shelled night after night for years…that takes its toll. His skill level is better than his last two years
That might affect goals against; it doesn’t affect save percentage.
Mind you, that’s whether you accept the term “shelled night after night” or not. Anaheim allowed not quite two shots a game above league average this past year. They were AT league average in 2021. They allowed one shot more than league average in 2020. Two shots more in 2019. One shot more in 2018. One shot *below* average in 2017. Anaheim was one of the league leaders in fewest shots allowed in 2016. Much the same in 2015.
I guess I don’t buy the notion that this constitutes Gibson being “shelled.” And great goalies overcome being “shelled.” Look at the 1990s, where Dominik Hasek had the greatest six-year stretch of any goalie since hockey was invented … and where Buffalo was perennially in the leaders for shots allowed, and led the league in that category three of those seasons.
Gibson is just not an elite — or even an *average* — goaltender any more, and I’m surprised that so many people on this forum have a hard time wrapping their head around that goalies decline like any other player (*cough* Price *cough*), and sometimes do it at a relatively young age, like any other player.
Anaheim’s been mediocre to bad the last three years, but it’s not despite Gibson. Gibson’s decline is part of the reason.
John Gibson will be the most sought after netminder this summer and rightfully so.