Yes, the Detroit Red Wings have a lot of goaltending depth. That said, they still have to pursue a trade to acquire John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks.
Gibson is still a very talented goaltender, and would be Detroit's No. 1 pick if acquired. It is rare cases where a veteran player's future value may exceed his current value. The Red Wings need to jump on this opportunity before another team does. Here is the reason.
Gibson Will Provide Red Wings With Net Stability
First and foremost, Gibson is signed through 2027. The Red Wings haven't had a goaltender play three consecutive seasons with the team since Jimmy Howard took over.
Despite the stability of the contract, Gibson has proven to be a reliable consultant. He's started 63.8 percent of Anaheim's games over the past five years — roughly 52 starts in an 82-game season. This was Husso's plan for 2023-24, but, as we all know, injuries got in the way.
With Gibson on board and maintaining this workload, that would leave roughly 30 starts for Cam Talbot, which is the perfect amount for a rookie goaltender. And it's a decent starting price for Sebastian Cossa when/if he joins the Red Wings full-time in 2025-26.
Another aspect of stability and reliability is performance, and Gibson's latest statistics—namely percentages, goals against average, and goals saved above expectations—give a glimpse. That said, a goalkeeper's stats also depend on the players around him, so they don't tell the whole story. Numbers don't always equal talent.
One notable statistic, however, is the odds are extremely high against (HDCA). Gibson faced 9.25 HDCA/60 situations in 2023-24, which was third-most in the NHL among goalies who played 600 minutes or more. It is clear that he did not get much help from the team in front of him.
The interesting takeaway here is that Gibson's save percentage in the HDCA was .820 – the same as Juuse Saros and .005 better than Sergei Bobrovsky. Overall, Gibson ranks 26th among goaltenders with a 71 percent save percentage.
The talent is there. Having a better defense in front of Gibson will light this up.
Gibson Mentored Red Wings' Cossa
When Gibson entered the league in 2014, he was the Ducks' top prospect. At age 20, he started playoff games over established starter Jonas Hiller and rookie Frederik Anderson, who won 20 of 28 games that year.
Gibson's talent allowed the Ducks to finally move on from Hiller and trade Anderson. At 23, he was Anaheim's clear, franchise goaltender.
It is now 2024. Gibson is 31 years old. And he has been hanging out with some of the best people in Lukas Dostal for the past two years.
At this stage of his career, Gibson is Sebastian Cossa's perfect mentor. As a former “goalie of the future” and top draft pick, Gibson knows how to handle the pressure that comes with the place. In this case, he will have at least two years to meet Cossa in Detroit and be able to train the Red Wings' top goalies as he did with Dostal.
Related: 3 Key Insights into Detroit's Offseason Strategy
Cossa will eventually become Detroit's starter. Having someone like Gibson show them the ropes and how to be a pro will be a huge asset to the young netizen.
The Last Word
The talent, stability, and mentorship that Gibson can bring to the organization brings too much value to pass up. Detroit should make it a priority to pursue a netminder before the 2024-25 season begins.
A package that includes Ville Husso (with a prescription for a full health bill), a defensive prospect—one of William Wallinder, Albert Johansson, or Shai Buium—and a 2025 second-rounder should get the job done. This is a reasonable price to offer for Gibson and a calculated risk on Detroit's part.
(The plan would also include trading Talbot or buying him out—$833,334 over two seasons—after the 2024-25 season to make room for Cossa.)
With Gibson, the Red Wings' goaltending depth could be a strength, not a weakness, as it has been in recent years. He could also be the final puzzle piece in building a postseason roster.
Data courtesy of The Natural Stat Trick.
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