New Jersey Devils: Brian Gibbons Was Fun While It Lasted
By Nick Villano
Brian Gibbons decided to move on from his time with the New Jersey Devils to sign with the Anaheim Ducks. While it was a short time, it was very fun to have him on the team.
There was a lot of talk about some of the New Jersey Devils biggest free agents and whether the team should bring them back. John Moore had the fanbase split on what to do with the defenseman. Michael Grabner had most fans watching to door slam behind him as he signed with Arizona. Other players signed with other teams, while we all wait for Patrick Maroon to make a decision. One player you didn’t hear Devils fans talk about is Brian Gibbons.
This is a player that was leading the team in goals going into the New Year. He had 12 goals, which Taylor Hall tied on December 23rd and didn’t beat until January 2nd. Gibbons was a monster to start the season, and one of the reasons the team got off to a scorching hot start. He scored five goals in October, and six goals in November.
However, Gibbons fell off an absolute cliff in the second half of the year. It all started with a broken thumb he suffered on January 20th. He missed every game from then until March 8th, and really was never the same after that. He still had his speed, but his shot was nowhere near where it should be.
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One could tell something was off. He only took eight shots in the month of March. Whether it was a lack of confidence, or literal pain to make that movement, Gibbons wasn’t the same player.
Because of that fact, the Devils were never going to bring back Gibbons. He was an extremely fun player to have on this team. His penalty killing is elite. He scored a goal when the Devils were down 5-on-3. Gibbons brought a happiness to the team that it really needed. He was just happy to be in the NHL after fighting tooth and nail to make it here at 29 (now 30) years old.
We will miss Gibbons as fans, but not in a hockey sense. He was given a $1 million contract with the Anaheim Ducks. The Devils were never going to give him that, and they shouldn’t. The team needs to see what John Quenneville has to offer, and Gibbons gets in the way. Let’s just enjoy the year of Gibbons, and look back at his first two months with glee. He came from a place where I lambasted the front office for keeping him on the roster, to a fan favorite in just a few weeks. We will look back upon this fondly.