New Jersey Devils: Finding 3 John Gibson Trades That Make Sense
The New Jersey Devils desperately need a goalie. One of the best names in the game is available. What would it take for the Devils to get John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks?
This one is going to be interesting. We’ve been on the record saying that trading for John Gibson is a bad idea. The Anaheim Ducks haven’t been getting the best out of Gibson the past few years. He’s had a save percentage below .905 for three years in a row. It’s obvious the Ducks haven’t been very good, and that led us to say we don’t want Gibson for the New Jersey Devils. It seems like he’s on the downside, but let’s address the situation as a whole. Many people that we trust have told us Gibson is a good piece to target. We’ve asked people in the analytics community and more scout-based people, and everyone says that Gibson is salvageable.
Gibson is playing for a dreadful team, and it’s clear they are wasting his prime. He’s 28 years old, and it’s clear he’s frustrated. With how much goaltending is mental, it has to hurt to be stuck on a losing team night in and night out. The Ducks gave up 1,009 high-danger chances at all strengths last season. Natural Stat Trick says only eight other teams allowed more.
Gibson was in the Jordan Binnington/Mikko Koskinen range when it comes to goals saved above average. However, when it comes to high-danger goals saved above average, he’s actually ranked 14th. The Devils would love to have an above-average goalie to lean on next season. So, what would it cost? Let’s go over a few trades that might make it happen.
Trade 1
This one has a lot of elements, but making a Gibson deal work likely has to add more than a normal superstar trade. In a trade for, say, David Pastrnak, the Boston Bruins only want massive pieces. They want the best of the best and nothing else. For the Ducks to trade Gibson, they have to find the right move with some high-upside pieces.
The Devils are honestly spending more than they might have to here since the market for Gibson will be interesting. What will the Ducks want? The Devils have an interesting proposition for Anaheim. Not only do they have a bevy of picks and prospects to choose from, but they also have a goalie who might be salvageable himself. Mackenzie Blackwood needs a change of scenery just like Gibson, and this could be a deal that makes everyone happy.
The Devils are still paying a premium here. Nolan Foote is a really good prospect who is now the best hope to get something serious out of the Blake Coleman trade. If they can turn him into a piece to get John Gibson, great. They are also giving the Ducks two draft picks to make it a little more worth their while. That second-round pick has a lot of value, and it probably pushes the Ducks over the edge to make the deal.
Trade 2
This is what happens when the Devils take on all of John Gibson’s contract without asking the Ducks to cover any of it. The Devils get to ask for an extra asset and the Ducks really don’t have discourse to say no. The Ducks have two options here; trade Gibson to a team that’s willing for a price they are willing to take or keep the player. This isn’t a seller’s market when it comes to John Gibson. While there aren’t a ton of goalies that are available, nobody is trying to take on a contract like Gibson’s especially when he hasn’t looked like a world beater in years.
The Devils are giving the Ducks a very young NHL roster player with immense upside in Boqvist, a flier of a prospect in Aarne Talvitie, and a third-round pick. The Devils are taking on all of Gibson’s contract for the next four years. However, to give the Ducks $6.4 million in salary cap relief for the next five seasons, it’s going to cost them. The Devils would ask for a decent prospect in return, but they would likely fall on one they can both live with.
Urko Vaakaneinen came to the Ducks in the Hampus Lindholm trade. He was a big piece of the deal, but the bevy of draft picks that came to the Ducks are more important.
Vaakaneinen would be an interesting piece to the Devils. He was once a top prospect in the Bruins system, but he hasn’t really worked out yet. The Devils could give him a chance at just 23 years old to be the seventh defenseman. He’s left handed, so the Devils don’t have a huge need for a young left-handed defenseman, but he could be a really good player to have on standby in case there is an injury.
Trade 3
This one seems like it could be in the ballpark. The Devils are giving up two assets with a ton of question but an intense amount of upside, a player that gets the Ducks to the salary cap floor if that’s what they desire, and the Ducks have to eat a good portion of John Gibson’s contract. Does this trade favor the Devils? Well, yeah, but they are taking on a MAJOR risk in trading for Gibson in the first place. This isn’t someone like Connor Hellebuyck who is still one of the best in the league. It’s not even Sergei Bobrovsky who has a history of fluxation. Gibson has been average for three years and he’s paid like he’s great.
The Devils could make this happen and everyone comes out happy. The Ducks might not be that happy with the fact they have to pay for a contract for five years, but there seems to be no deal that makes sense where the Ducks aren’t swallowing a ton of that contract. They have to eat it, or they might get stuck with Gibson for another year.
The Devils are desperate to fix the goaltending position after years of dealing with Corey Crawford’s retirement, Bernier’s injury, and Blackwood’s regression. It’s just one thing after another. Gibson is at least consistent in net. He is there, and he’s not going to fall all over himself. He will stop pucks.
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His numbers aren’t great, and that will have his value lower than in previous years, but the Ducks will look to sell to the highest bidder, and it seems likely that will be the Devils. This trade won’t make Ducks fans happy, but it will likely be the cost of doing business.