New Jersey Devils: Finding 3 John Gibson Trades That Make Sense

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.