Welcome to another edition of NHL Rumours! Today is the NHL Draft and it’ll be exciting to see the smiles on the players faces when there name is called. Also, the free agency frenzy is right around the corner. The buzz is growing and the rumour mill is churning faster and faster. Todays Rumours swirl around the Detroit Red Wings.
NHL Rumours
Rumour: David Pagnotta from The Fourth Period links the Red Wings to a goaltender
General Manager Steve Yzerman has been a busy man to start the offseason. He has gone on to make a few trades, including Jake Walman to the San Jose Sharks. That move went on to free up money and give the Red Wings extra salary cap. Also, that is a good thing, as the team will look to extend Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond. In addition, they will have money to make a big splash this summer and add to the group.
The Red Wings just missed the playoffs and are looking to get over the hump. For the most part the nucleus of the team is locked up, they just need to supplement it. One thing Pagnotta has made note of is that the Red Wings could be in the mix for a goalie. One name that has come up is goaltender John Gibson.
Gibson Sweepstakes Back On
The latest NHL Rumours bring us back to Gibson. His name has been thrown in the trade ring for a few seasons now, but nothing has gotten done. Given the state of the Anaheim Ducks and what direction they are heading, trading Gibson makes the most sense. Also, they have Lucas Dostal in the mix and he proved he can tend the crease for that young team. A stable veteran in Gibson would be what the Red Wings need.
Things have not gone according to plan with Ville Husso. Majority of the starts for the Red Wings went to Alex Lyon, but injuries played a factor. However, there is no denying there is a need for an upgrade. Husso had a tough season, finishing with a 3.55 goals against average and a subpar .892 save percentage. With the team looking for stability, look no further than Gibson.
Gibson has term on his contract, so he is not a rental player. Gibson didn’t have the strongest season for the Ducks either. He finished with a 3.54 goals against average and a .888 save percentage. This is a goalie who has put together strong seasons and a change of scenery could benefit him. When looking at the numbers, it doesn’t look like much of an upgrade but there is a case to be made that things can turn around in Detroit for him.
Detroit Gets a Proven Veteran
This set of NHL Rumours makes sense for the Red Wings. There is no denying Gibson and the impact he has had with the Ducks over his career. The last two seasons saw him finish with a save percentage below .900. Although, every year up until this point he has always had a save percentage above .900. Furthermore, only recently has he seen his goals against average rise, but the Ducks defence does a poor job of shot suppression which leads to pucks in the back of the net.
With this Red Wings team ready to contend and compete, adding Gibson is huge to getting them there. The goalie market is not the strongest, but buying into what Gibson has shown in his career is a wise decision. The Red Wings could be making big splashes this summer and this could be one of them.
Main Photo: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
