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Ducks Recall Ville Husso

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The Ducks have recalled goaltender Ville Husso from AHL San Diego after John Gibson left last night’s start with a lower-body injury, according to the AHL’s transactions log. In a corresponding move, the team reassigned prospect Damian Clara to replace Husso on San Diego’s roster. He was previously on loan to Liiga’s Kärpät.

Anaheim has recalled Husso frequently since acquiring him from the Red Wings in February, constantly as a fill-in for the oft-injured Gibson. This is Gibson’s third injury-related absence in the past six weeks, including a three-gamer in February and a seven-gamer last month. While the latter was due to a lower-body injury, it’s unclear if the injury he sustained last night against the Flames is related.

While Gibson’s absences have meant more playing time for the upstart Lukáš Dostál than for Husso, the third-stringer has made a start and a relief appearance for the Ducks since the move. He’s allowed five goals on 51 shots for a good .902 SV%, although his only decision was a 3-2 loss to Utah on March 12. When considering his nine appearances with Detroit, his numbers for the year are still underwhelming. The struggling 30-year-old has a 1-6-2 record, .874 SV% and 3.71 GAA in nine starts and two relief appearances across both clubs while allowing 7.0 goals above expected, per MoneyPuck.

A pending unrestricted free agent, Husso won’t earn anything resembling his current $4.75MM cap hit on the open market this summer. A two-way deal may even be necessary for him to land another NHL contract. He’s still been strong enough in the minors to command a No. 3 role, posting a 2.64 GAA, .910 SV%, and a 15-6-0 record in 22 appearances split between AHL Grand Rapids and San Diego.

With the Ducks now mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Husso remain up for the last two weeks of the campaign while Gibson gets an early start to his offseason.

As for Clara, the 20-year-old will get his first taste of life in North America to close his 2024-25 season. It didn’t go as well as he’d hoped overseas, posting a .879 SV% and 3.19 GAA in 21 appearances for Färjestad BK of the Swedish Hockey League before his late-season transfer to Finland. It’s worth noting that was Clara’s debut against top-level European competition – his breakout 2023-24 campaign was spent in the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan, helping Brynäs IF gain promotion back to the SHL for this season with a .913 SV% in 34 outings.

The 6’6″ Italian improved his play down the stretch, logging a 2.49 GAA, .910 SV%, one shutout, and a 3-7-0 record in 10 showings with Kärpät to end the season. He’ll almost certainly serve as Italy’s starting netminder for the 2026 Winter Olympics, which they’ll participate in as the host country. A second-round pick by Anaheim in 2023, he adds to a decent complement of young goalies in the organization behind Dostál that also includes Calle Clang and Tomas Suchanek – neither of whom are available to San Diego right now because of injuries.

The Free Agent Goaltending Market This Summer Will Be Thin

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Jesse Granger of The Athletic wrote an article the other day about the lack of impact options available in the goaltending market this summer. Granger highlights recent extensions to Adin Hill, Karel Vejmelka, Logan Thompson and Kevin Lankinen to back up his hypothesis. This season, 12 NHL goaltenders have signed contract extensions totalling just shy of $438MM.

The teams on the hunt for goaltending this summer will be hard-pressed to find a suitable target as supply will most certainly fall short of demand. There will be goalies available, but the free-agent market will be a mix of veteran backups and reclamation projects. Topping the list will be New Jersey’s Jake Allen and Carolina’s Frederik Andersen, and while both men are certainly capable NHL goaltenders, they aren’t likely to move the needle for a team that is in search of a netminder. Although Allen is making a case at the moment as he is on a heater with the Devils and has been exceptional this season with a goals saved above expected of 20.3 (as per Money Puck).

While this isn’t great news for teams looking to be buyers, it does create an opportunity for teams that will be looking to sell low on expensive veterans. The most obvious candidate for a move is Tristan Jarry of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 29-year-old has returned to the NHL after a stretch in the minors and has played well in five games for the Penguins. While a small sample size is unlikely to make teams forget about Jarry’s long-term play over the past two years, a solid stretch to end the year could entice a team to roll the dice on a former two-time NHL All-Star. Jarry has three years remaining on his contract with an AAV of $5.375MM, and with the cap going up, there may be a team so desperate to improve in the net that they pull the trigger and hope Jarry re-captures his game.

Another such name is Philipp Grubauer of the Seattle Kraken. Like Jarry, Grubauer is on an expensive long-term deal and spent part of this season in the AHL. Grubauer has two years remaining on his contract at $5.9MM per season, but at 33 years old he would certainly be a bigger risk than Jarry. Over the past four seasons, Grubauer has posted -55.8 goals saved above expected with the Kraken (as per Money Puck), while Jarry has posted +8.1 goals saved above expected (as per Money Puck).

Then, of course, there is John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks, who has had his name in trade rumors for what feels like forever. The 31-year-old has been good this season for the Ducks, and it’s hard to imagine he makes it another summer in Anaheim. The Ducks have an opportunity to move on while Gibson’s value is at the highest it’s been in a few seasons, and with so few alternatives, they should be able to net an asset or two.

Anaheim Ducks Reassign Ville Husso, John Gibson Returns

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Earlier today, Anaheim Ducks’ head coach Greg Cronin shared (and publicized by Derek Lee of The Hockey News) that netminder John Gibson has returned from his lower-body injury and would start tonight against the Nashville Predators. The Ducks announced they’ve reassigned goaltender Ville Husso to their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, now that Gibson has fully returned.

Gibson has been out of the lineup for the better part of two months with a pair of lower-body injuries. Since the calendar turned to February, Gibson has only managed four games played, posting a 1-1-0 record with a .891 SV% in that time. His start tonight against Nashville will be the first action he’s seen since March 5th.

Still, this season can’t be seen as anything other than a productive rebound for Gibson. He owns a 9-10-2 record in 25 starts this year with a .909 SV% and 2.82 GAA. The latter two statistics and his 5.9 goals saved above average represent his highest totals since the 2018-19 season. Although Lukáš Dostál has become the de facto starter in Orange County, Gibson has turned his career around after multiple disappointing campaigns.

Meanwhile, Husso returns to San Diego after debuting with the Ducks in the past week. Anaheim acquired Husso just before the trade deadline from the Detroit Red Wings for future considerations, and he’s filled in nicely for the team when Gibson has been out.

The native of Helsinki, Finland appeared in two games for Anaheim since being acquired, managing a 0-1-0 record and stopping 46 of 51 shots. His numbers aren’t as promising in the AHL, as Husso has posted a 3-1-0 record in four games with the Gulls with a .894 SV%.

Anaheim Ducks Recall Ville Husso

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For the third time since March 7th, the Anaheim Ducks have recalled goaltender Ville Husso from their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls. Despite being involved in a roster move consecutive times since the trade deadline, Husso has yet to make his first appearance with the Ducks.

The first two call-ups were expected, with netminder John Gibson being out with a lower-body injury. However, Derek Lee of The Hockey News reported that Gibson had been medically cleared to return this morning, making this transaction somewhat peculiar. Although Anaheim may want another night of rest for Gibson, one could reasonably assume he could have done that in a backup role behind Lukáš Dostál.

Dostál has already been confirmed as tonight’s starter against the Washington Capitals, so we know that Husso isn’t expected to play. However, as the league’s top-ranked offense, there’s a chance Dostál could be chased at some point during the contest, forcing their hand at playing Husso. This could also be why the Ducks chose Husso as the backup rather than Gibson.

If he plays in tonight’s contest, it will be Husso’s first NHL appearance in about two months. He’s managed a 1-5-2 record in nine games this season, all with the Detroit Red Wings, with a .866 SV% and 3.69 GAA. He’s performed better in the AHL with the Gulls and Grand Rapids Griffins, combining for an 11-5-0 record in 17 games with a .908 SV% and 2.84 GAA.

Snapshots: Rantanen, Husso, Poitras

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The Avalanche’s final offer to winger Mikko Rantanen in extension negotiations earlier this season was an eight-year, $93.2MM deal worth $11.65MM per season, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic confirmed today. While that obviously wasn’t an offer Rantanen agreed to, it was close enough to encourage the winger’s camp to keep negotiating throughout the rest of the regular season – a plan foiled when Colorado instead opted to deal him to the Hurricanes. LeBrun reaffirms the notion at the time that Rantanen and his camp were blindsided by the deal, instead believing they were close enough in talks to continue ironing out a deal to keep him in Colorado. He also confirmed that the Canes’ offer to Rantanen was an eight-year, $100MM deal as previously reported, but that he ended up taking less in last week’s trade-and-sign with the Stars because he “just wasn’t feeling the fit in Carolina.”

More from around the league today:

  • The Ducks announced they’ve reassigned goaltender Ville Husso to AHL San Diego. The veteran third-stringer, acquired from the Red Wings last month, backed up Lukáš Dostál for the second straight contest in last night’s win over the Islanders while John Gibson remains sidelined with a lower-body issue. They’ve sent him to the minors on off-days during Gibson’s absence, so today’s move isn’t necessarily an indication Gibson will be ready to return when Anaheim hosts the Capitals tomorrow. Husso has yet to play for the Ducks since the swap, but the 30-year-old has a .894 SV%, 3.27 GAA, one shutout, and a 3-1-0 record in four showings for San Diego.
  • While the Bruins’ reassignment of Matthew Poitras on Friday was expected to be a short-term one to make him eligible for the AHL playoffs, Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald reports that isn’t the case. The 21-year-old center remains in Providence as this week gets underway and will remain there for the foreseeable future, potentially the rest of the regular season. The 2022 second-rounder has 1-10–11 in 33 NHL appearances this season after notching 5-10–15 in the exact same number of showings last year.

Minor Transactions: 3/7/25

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Similarly to the NHL, AHL playoff rosters are also due today before the trade deadline. Any player currently rostered in the AHL is eligible for the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs, regardless of a future call-up. Today’s list will continue to grow until the 3 p.m. deadline.

  • According to a team announcement, the Dallas Stars have reassigned defenseman Lian Bichsel to their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars. Although the reassignment came with a formal announcement from the team, it should only serve as a paper transaction for Bichsel to ensure he’s eligible for the Calder Cup playoffs. The rookie defenseman has scored two goals and three assists in 20 games for the Stars this season, averaging 14:54 of ice time per night. He’s made his presence known by averaging over four hits a game, but he’s been on the wrong end of some highlight videos early in his NHL career. Dallas confirmed it as a paper transaction later, recalling Bichsel quickly after the deadline.
  • As alluded to yesterday, the Philadelphia Flyers have confirmed the reassignment of netminder Aleksei Kolosov to their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Given that he’s been Philadelphia’s third-string option for much of the season, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Kolosov’s reassignment extend beyond the trade deadline. The second-year netminder has a 4-8-1 record in 15 games with the Flyers this season with a .870 SV% and 3.45 GAA. His performance hasn’t been any better with AHL Lehigh Valley as he’s recorded a 2-4-1 record in seven AHL contests with a .874 SV% and 3.59 GAA.
  • The Calgary Flames are making Adam Klapka available to their AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers, for the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs, per a team report. Similarly to Kolosov, this reassignment may extend through the deadline. Klapka has spent much of the year in AHL Calgary, scoring 13 goals and 25 points in 31 contests. He’s been far less utilized by the Flames, registering one goal in 13 contests and averaging 8:10 of ice time per game.
  • According to Andy Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey, the San Jose Sharks are expected to reassign defenseman Jimmy Schuldt and Jack Thompson to their AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. As a minor contextual update, Max Miller of The Hockey News believes Thompson’s reassignment is a paper transaction to make him eligible for the AHL postseason. Despite low scoring output, Thompson has been an effective defenseman for the Sharks this season, averaging a 92.1% on-ice save percentage at even strength, the best on the team among defensemen with more than 20 games played.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets announced they’ve reassigned forward Joseph Labate to their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters. As one of the most feel-good stories of the 2024-25 campaign, Labate took the ice in the NHL for the first time in eight years this season. The 31-year-old winger had spent the last several years bouncing around on AHL contracts with a one-year pitstop in the KHL. He scored six goals and 13 points in 33 games with AHL Cleveland before being elevated to an NHL contract with the Blue Jackets.
  • After announcing that defenseman Colton Parayko would miss the next six weeks due to a knee injury, the St. Louis Blues were expected to make a recall on defense. The team announced that recall this morning, sharing that they’ve brought up Matthew Kessel from their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. The Phoenix, AZ native has already spent time as a seventh defenseman for the Blues this season, tallying three assists in 27 games while averaging 13:05 of ice time per game.
  • Strictly as a paper move, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that the Chicago Blackhawks have reassigned forward Colton Dach and defenseman Ethan Del Mastro to their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. Both players will remain in the Blackhawks’ lineup for the rest of the season before they are returned to AHL Rockford at the end of the season, should they qualify for the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs. Dach has scored two goals and six points in 18 games with Chicago, while Del Mastro has registered two goals and three points in 12 contests.
  • As expected, the Detroit Red Wings have placed forward Carter Mazur on injured reserve one day after his debut. Mazur suffered a dislocated elbow approximately one minute into his NHL career, and he’s likely done for the regular season. In a corresponding transaction, the Red Wings have recalled forward Dominik Shine from their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. Shine is only a couple of weeks removed from signing the first NHL contract of his career, tallying one assist in four games for Detroit in late January.
  • The Montreal Canadiens announced they’ve reassigned forward Owen Beck and goaltender Jakub Dobes to their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, for eligibility in the Calder Cup playoffs. Beck has been an extremely effective forward for the Rocket this year, scoring 13 goals and 32 points in 47 games. Meanwhile, Dobes has made a name for himself in Montreal, managing a 6-2-1 record in 10 games with a .909 SV% and 2.63 GAA, including one shutout.
  • The Los Angeles Kings aren’t entirely sold on Brandt Clarke’s future with the team. A report from Greg Wyshynski of ESPN this morning indicated the Kings were shopping Clarke on the trade market, and they’ve now reassigned him to their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, along with Samuel Helenius (Twitter Link). Both players should be back on the NHL roster tomorrow, with the move signifying they’ll be eligible for the AHL postseason. Still, it’s a notable development as it indicates Los Angeles may want Clarke in the AHL for the Reign’s postseason run rather than their own.
  • According to a team announcement, the Carolina Hurricanes have reassigned defenseman Riley Stillman to their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. Stillman filled in for Dmitry Orlov in last night’s contest but didn’t make it through the full game due to getting his face cut by a skate. He finished last night’s contest against the Boston Bruins with zero points after skating in 18 seconds of the game’s action.
  • In addition to Schuldt and Thompson, Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News shares that the Sharks have reassigned defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin and forward Collin Graf to AHL San Jose. They’re both expected back on the Sharks’ roster later today or tomorrow, but the roster move will make them eligible for the AHL postseason. Mukhamadullin and Graf have both spent much of the year with the Barracuda. In short order, Pashelka reports the Sharks have recalled both players back to the NHL roster.
  • Due to another injury to netminder John Gibson on Wednesday, the Anaheim Ducks were expected to recall another goaltender. Anaheim announced they’ve recalled Ville Husso from their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, to fill the void left by Gibson. It’s Husso’s first call-up with the Ducks since being acquired from the Red Wings on February 24th. He posted a 1-5-2 record in nine games in Detroit this season with a .866 SV% and 3.69 GAA.
  • For the fifth time this year, the New York Rangers have assigned defenseman Chad Ruhwedel to their AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. Ruhwedel has primarily played for AHL Hartford this season in his first extended stay in the AHL since 2016-17. The veteran defenseman has recorded three goals and 12 points in 36 contests with a +8 rating.
  • After a flurry of trade activity over the last couple of days, the Seattle Kraken are making a small roster move for the benefit of their AHL roster. The Kraken announced they’ve reassigned forwards Jacob Melanson and Ben Meyers to their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, and have recalled John Hayden in a corresponding transaction. The former debuted in the NHL last night, notching four hits and one takeaway in 9:53 of ice time.
  • In a major boost to their playoff chances, the AHL’s Providence Bruins will have several players available for the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs. Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal reports the Boston Bruins have papered down Marat Khusnutdinov, Vinni Lettieri, Patrick Brown, Ian Mitchell, Riley Tufte, and Matthew Poitras to the AHL for their postseason eligibility. All six players are expected back on the Bruins roster by this evening or tomorrow morning.
  • As expected, the Buffalo Sabres have papered down forward Jiří Kulich to their AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. Kulich has been an impressive player for AHL Rochester over the last few seasons and should continue to be in the postseason. He’s scored 53 goals and 94 points in 123 games on the Americans’ roster.  Later in the day, the Americans announced that forwards Isak Rosen and Joshua Dunne were recalled on an emergency basis so they won’t count toward the post-deadline limit.
  • According to a team announcement, the Edmonton Oilers have returned defenseman Cam Dineen to their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, from his emergency recall. Unlike many of the roster moves on today’s list, Dineen has a solid chance of playing the remainder of the year with AHL Bakersfield. The 26-year-old defenseman has scored five goals and 29 points in 45 games for the Condors this season while only registering one game with the Oilers.
  • In addition to recalling Emil Andrae, the Philadelphia Flyers are also making two more player recalls to their NHL roster. The team announced they’ve recalled forwards Olle Lycksell and Rodrigo Abols to the NHL roster for Saturday’s game against the Seattle Kraken. Abols has scored one goal and one assist in nine games for the Flyers this season, while Lycksell has gone scoreless in six contests.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have joined in on the mix of teams ensuring their top prospects are eligible for the AHL playoffs. They have assigned defenseman Victor Mancini, forward Jonathan Lekkerimaki, and goaltender Arturs Silovs to the AHL. Lekkerimaki has three points in 12 NHL games this season, while Mancini didn’t manage any scoring in his sole appearance with the Canucks so far. Silovs has operated as the team’s third-string goalie and has a 1-6-1 record and .858 save percentage on the year.  All three players were subsequently recalled soon after the deadline.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that they’ve recalled defenseman Jack St. Ivany from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on an emergency basis.  The 25-year-old has played in 19 games with Pittsburgh this season, recording one assist while averaging 16:22 of playing time per game.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Ducks Likely To Retain John Gibson Amid Weak Trade Market

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The Hurricanes and Oilers remain engaged in trade talks with the Ducks regarding netminder John Gibson, but Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports that neither team has put forth a particularly appealing offer. With no other buyers looking for goaltending help, it’s looking likely that another season of trade rumors regarding the Anaheim goalie won’t result in any movement, LeBrun writes.

While Carolina’s dwindling interest in Gibson makes sense given veteran Frederik Andersen’s return to form following knee surgery, Edmonton’s lukewarm interest is puzzling – especially considering LeBrun’s comment that the Oilers “don’t appear to see Gibson as a true upgrade.” While that may have been the case in years past, it’s an objectively incorrect take given Gibson’s 2024-25 performance versus what the Oilers have to offer.

For the first time since before the pandemic, Gibson should be in line for some fringe Vezina trophy consideration. Behind a Ducks defense that allows 32.2 shots against per game, the most in the league, he’s posted a .909 SV% and 2.82 GAA with a 9-10-2 record in 26 appearances. While the 31-year-old has still been outplayed and lost the starter’s crease to up-and-comer Lukáš Dostál, he’s done well enough in his own right to re-solidify himself as a top-15 netminder in the league, at least this season. On top of posting his best raw numbers since the 2018-19 campaign, Gibson’s saved 14.1 goals above expected to tie him for 10th in the league with Mackenzie Blackwood and Adin Hill, per MoneyPuck.

That’s a significant upgrade over what Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard have put up behind an Oilers squad that still ranks among the 10 best shot-suppressing teams in the league despite their recent struggles. After getting Edmonton to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last year, Skinner has just a .897 SV% and 2.87 GAA with a 20-15-4 record in 40 showings – down considerably from his .909 SV% over the prior two years. The veteran Pickard hasn’t fared any better as a No. 2 option, logging a .896 SV% and 2.76 GAA in 24 appearances, albeit with a 15-7-0 record that translates to a better points percentage than Skinner. The pair have combined to allow 10.4 goals above expected this year, including 3.8 from Skinner and 6.6 from Pickard.

That said, this is Gibson’s best showing in quite some time. As a rental, maybe Edmonton pays up – but in addition to not valuing him as a legitimate playing upgrade over Skinner, they’re not willing to take the risk attached to the remainder of his contract, a $6.4MM cap hit through 2026-27. That’s impossible for the Oilers to accommodate anyway without significant retention, as they enter the deadline with $4.475MM in space, per PuckPedia.

Pacific Notes: Flames, Thrun, Gibson

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The Calgary Flames have defined the last two Trade Deadlines by selling a suite of impactful veterans, but they’re set up to take much more of a back seat this year. General manager Craig Conroy told Sportsnet’s Eric Francis that their focus continues to be adding young players to round out their existing core – not to bring in any major additions. Conroy went on to add that the Flames would be interested in adding a left-shot defender, but that any deal would need to make sense for the club.

Calgary won’t have a ton of trade chips to move at the deadline, with veterans Nazem Kadri, Blake Coleman, Rasmus Andersson, and MacKenzie Weegar all on the untouchables list. Conroy told Francis that their lack of assets has limited the calls the Flames are receiving – but that the market is also quieter than in years past. He went on to praise the efforts of players like Joel Hanley, Ilya Solovyov, and Jake Bean – who would stand in direct competition of any defenders acquired via trade.

The expressed interest could connect Calgary to a scant defender market at the deadline. Vancouver’s Carson Soucy, San Jose’s Mario Ferraro, and Pittsburgh’s Matt Grzelcyk headline a market full of middling left-defenders. The market price has already been set, after New York Rangers defender Ryan Lindgren was traded to the Colorado Avalanche alongside Jimmy Vesey in exchange for Juuso Parssinen, Calvin de Haan, and two draft picks.

Other notes from out West:

  • Speaking of left-defense, the San Jose Sharks will be without youngster Henry Thrun in Saturday’s game against the Ottawa Senators per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. Thrun has one goal and 10 points in 51 games this season – one fewer than he scored in just as many games last year. The former Harvard Crimson captain is still very early in his career, but has improved his standing in San Jose’s lineup seemingly every night. He played a career-high 24 minutes in San Jose’s Monday loss to the Winnipeg Jets, and averaged 17 minutes per night on the year. San Jose will turn Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Jack Thompson – who have been exchanging minutes of their own – to fill in for Thrun’s absence.
  • Netminder John Gibson will draw back in for the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday per Derek Lee of The Hockey News. Gibson has missed Anaheim’s last three games after sustaining an upper-body injury on February 22nd. The Ducks recalled Oscar Dansk to serve as the backup behind Lukas Dostal in Gibson’s absence. Dansk has posted an .886 save percentage and 10-10-3 record in 27 AHL games this season. He’s been reassigned to the minor leagues per Mathieu Sheridan of The Hockey News. Meanwhile Gibson will return to platooning in the starter’s role, looking to build on his .916 save percentage and 9-9-2 record amid a resurging season.

Anaheim Ducks Recall Oscar Dansk, John Gibson Out With Injury

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The Anaheim Ducks will put forth a different goaltending tandem for tonight’s contest against the Detroit Red Wings. According to the AHL transactions page, the Ducks have recalled netminder Oscar Dansk who hasn’t played in an NHL contest since the 2020-21 season.

Anaheim’s reasoning for the call-up was made clear yesterday evening. The Ducks announced shortly after the second period of last night’s action that goaltender John Gibson wouldn’t return to the game due to an upper-body injury. There haven’t been any meaningful updates to Gibson’s injury status but it was severe enough to prohibit him from participating in the second half of the team’s back-to-back.

Despite years having passed since Dansk last sat on an NHL bench during the regular season, he would play tonight if there’s another injury or the score becomes lop-sided in Detroit’s favor. He’s put together a subpar season in his first year with the Ducks organization managing a 10-10-5 record with a .886 save percentage and 3.43 goals-against average in 27 games with their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls.

At least the 2024-25 campaign has provided Dansk with increased playing time. The now-veteran netminder spent the last two years with the AHL Calgary Wranglers totalling 44 games in a backup role behind Dustin Wolf.

Fortunately for Anaheim, the injury to Gibson won’t be as detrimental as it would have been in years past. Goaltender Lukáš Dostál has a formidable case to be the Ducks’ MVP this season posting a 16-13-4 record through 30 starts with a .911 SV% and 2.86 GAA.

Ducks Reassign Calle Clang

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Dec. 30: Clang is headed back to San Diego today after backing up Dostál in yesterday’s 5-3 win over the Oilers, the team announced. Gibson should be ready to go from his illness tomorrow against the Devils.

Dec. 28: The Anaheim Ducks have recalled goaltender Calle Clang from the minor leagues. He is expected to back up Ducks starter Lukáš Dostál, with veteran John Gibson still out day-to-day with illness. The move was first reported by Zach Cavanagh of The Sporting Tribune, and seconded by NHL.com’s Kevin Kurz. In a corresponding move, Anaheim has also promoted Vyacheslav Buteyets from the ECHL to the AHL to fill Clang’s vacancy.

Clang doesn’t seem likely to make his NHL debut on this recall, but he nonetheless makes the move with an impressive resume. He’s served as the San Diego Gulls’ starting goalie this year, posting a team-leading seven wins and .896 save percentage in 19 appearances. Clang won out the starting role as a rookie last season, playing just well enough to win out starts over Tomas Suchanek and Alex Stalock – despite Suchanek posting a .910 in 29 games to Clang’s .897 in 32 games.

It was nonetheless an exciting performance that showed Clang was able of translating his strong play over from Sweden. He stood tall for Rogle BK through parts of four seasons prior to moving to the AHL, ultimately totalling a 22-15-0 record and .906 in 43 games with the pro squad. Those numbers helped Clang earn a third-round draft selection from the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2020. He stands Pittsburgh’s fourth-highest drafted goalie since 2000, though the club shipped him to Anaheim along with Zach Aston-Reese, Dominik Simon, and a second-round pick used on Tristan Luneau in their 2022 acquisition of Rickard Rakell. Two years later, Clang now stands as the top goalie on Anaheim’s call-up chart – helped along by Suchanek suffering a long-term injury before the year started. Clang will try to prove his place on this call-up – if he’s able to step into any ice time.

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