January 7, 2025 | 10:20am ET
TheFourthPeriod.com
GIBSON STILL IN PLAY FOR ANAHEIM
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John Gibson, goaltender
After locking up Frank Vatrano to a three-year extension over the weekend, the Anaheim Ducks will shift their focus to some other players on their roster who could be dealt between now and the March 7 trade deadline.
Veteran goaltender John Gibson is no stranger to trade speculation, and while the Ducks have explored discussions with other teams in the past, it seems like there is more of a willingness to pull the trigger on a deal this season than ever before.
During Monday’s edition of “The Latest” on TFP, David Pagnotta reported Ducks GM Pat Verbeek will continue to talk to other teams about Gibson’s availability this season.
Gibson, 31, is in the sixth year of an eight-year, $51.2 million contract and owns a 10-team no-trade list as part of his deal.
“He’s got an appetite to chase the championship. The Ducks have an appetite to retain money on his deal,” Pagnotta said of Gibson. “It’s just a matter of finding the right spot.”
It is unclear as to the type of package the Ducks want in return for Gibson, and whether they are willing to retain half of his remaining contract or less than $3.2 million per year of his cap hit.
The Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers are two teams that have expressed interest in Gibson in the past and could circle back over the next two months, as Pagnotta mentioned.
“Now, the Vatrano signing, along with the addition of Jacob Trouba, kind of shows that this team is starting to take the next steps in their rebuild,” he said. “They have a few other pieces on expiring deals that they could potentially move in Robby Fabbri and Brock McGinn up front. And they already traded out Cam Fowler, giving him a chance to compete with St. Louis. And that’s kind of where they’re at with John Gibson.
“So, whether it’s Carolina, or even Edmonton, these are going to be some teams that are going to kind of continue to poke around to see if they can get the right deal in place.”
In 14 games with the Ducks so far this season, Gibson has posted a 7-5-1 record with a 2.71 goals-against-average and a .914 save percentage.
“We’re two months and a day away from the trade deadline,” Pagnotta said yesterday. “These discussions are gonna pick up.”