The Anaheim Ducks have some talented young players that give fans a very bright look at their future, but for now, they just don't have the squad to be competitive in the present.
That leaves many of their veterans on the trade block as the team look to recoup more and more future assets, with the most obvious trade candidate being goaltender John Gibson.
After being in trade speculation for years without being moved, the salary cap is now continuing to go up, with Gibson's $6.4 million cap hit not the burden that it once was for teams looking to acquire him.
Now, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun has addressed the situation, revealing the two teams that he believes makes most sense to acquire Gibson, naming Colorado and Carolina as those two teams.
For the Avalanche, they sit 31st in the NHL in goals allowed at 3.68 per game, with issues clear to anyone that has watched the team this season, although in the same article, LeBrun notes that the front office don't believe the issue as big as many have made it out to be.
The other team, Carolina, have been fantastic in net this season, but with a long-term injury to Frederik Andersen hindering them recently, it would make sense for them to acquire a legit No. 1 to fill a role on this team.
As far back as 2022, Gibson has given his blessing to the team for seeking a trade, but thus far, the price to acquire him has simply been too high, with now just two years left on his deal, it could be the time to make a deal happen.
With Lukas Dostal now taking over and showing the promise of a future star in Anaheim, the time is now for the Ducks to strike, and if they can get interest from these two teams and many others, expect them to capitalize and make a deal work.
G | A | PTS | ||
Zachary Werenski | 2 | 3 | 5 | |
Sean Monahan | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
Jesper Bratt | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
Frederick Gaudreau | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
Jack Hughes | - | 3 | 3 | |
Nikita Kucherov | - | 3 | 3 | |
Mackenzie Weegar | - | 3 | 3 | |
Kent Johnson | 2 | - | 2 | |
Alexander Wennberg | 2 | - | 2 | |
Mitchell Chaffee | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Anthony Cirelli | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Matthew Coronato | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Marcus Foligno | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Nick Foligno | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Conor Geekie | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Brandon Hagel | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Stefan Noesen | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Corey Perry | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Igor Sharangovich | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Dmitry Voronkov | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Complete stats |
STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 19 | 16 | 3 | - | 32 | |
Wild | 19 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 29 | |
Hurricanes | 19 | 14 | 5 | - | 28 | |
Devils | 22 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 28 | |
Capitals | 19 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 27 | |
Golden Knights | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Maple Leafs | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Rangers | 18 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 25 | |
Panthers | 20 | 12 | 7 | 1 | 25 | |
Flames | 20 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 25 | |
Conference | Cumulative |