Red Wings Review: Gibson Might be Seeing Goalies in the Rearview

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IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectIMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Age: 32, turns 33 in July

Contract Status: Signed through the 2026-27 season, after end of 8-year contract (Dukcs) becomes a UFA .

Last season’s contributions: After a rocky start to his tenure in net for the Red Wings, John Gibson returned to past form and started in 57 games, taking over the net from incumbent Cam Talbot and not letting go after December

Grade: B+

Past​

Gibson came to Detroit last offseason as part of a trade that shipped out Petr Mrazek to the Ducks. After a lackluster last couple of years for Gibson in Anaheim due to a combination of injury and other factors, the veteran netminder came to Detroit looking for a change of scenery, and to prove that he was still a starting goalie in this league.

When healthy, Gibson started in 50+ games for the Anaheim Ducks in seven seasons. Detroit, needing an established and reliable starter, gambled on Gibson, who had only started 29 games in the 24/25 season.

He rewarded that gamble with the third most starts in his career (57), winning just over half of those with a 29-22-4 record in his first season with the Red Wings.

Present​

Gibson started the season on a bad note, getting pulled from the net and booed off the ice in the team’s first start. After, that it, was Cam Talbot’s net for much of the first two months of the season as Gibson got acclimated to Detroit, with only four wins through November to his name.

However, starting in December, Gibson caught fire and was one of the better netminders in the league leading into the Olympic break. His name even floated as a snub from the U.S Men’s roster list. From December 2 to March 1, Gibson was 19-5-1 and was averaging at or above a .920 sv%, and was undoubtedly a major reason for the Red Wings mid-season success.

However, the wheels came off for Gibson and the rest of the roster after the Olympic break, with Gibson and Red Wings only winning 9 of the next 19, and plummeting out of the playoffs. Towards the end, Gibson was showing signs of the wear and tear. With Cam Talbot not being viewed as a reliable backup, the Red Wings kept turning to the only other goalie on the main roster.

The group in front him certainly didn’t make things easier with an inability to score to make games competitive, however.

“It’s a learning lesson, and hopefully we can use it next year as motivation.” Said Gibson at the end of year player availability.

Future​

The Red Wings have a pretty stocked cupboard of goalie prospects, with three in particular who may be competing for a backup spot behind Gibson, and maybe more. Sebastian Cossa and Michal Postava are in the middle of a goalie battle at the AHL level, with Postava getting hot towards the end of the year and being the Grand Rapids Griffins starter for the Calder Cup Playoffs so far.

Cossa had the stronger regular season, however, and has more tenure with the organization, as well as draft pedigree. The Red Wings will probably want to see if he can actually make it in the Show after drafting and developing him over the past five years.

And that’s before mentioning hometown hero Trey Augustine. Augustine signed with Detroit and subsequently assigned to Grand Rapids after finishing his career at Michigan State University.

All that to say;

Gibson isn’t going anywhere for at least a year. The veteran netminder is under contract for the next yea while making a starter’s salary. Detroit doesn’t have the flexibility to be moving on from a (mostly) stable goaltender. The 32-year-old veteran had a bounce back season when he needed it most, and now he’ll need to prove it wasn’t a flash in the pan next year.

The Red Wings are likely going to be spending that time evaluating whether (or which) of their three top prospects in net is capable of taking over as a starter in net by having them back him up for the 26-27 season. If none make their case, the Red Wings may be looking at a lucrative bidding war.

Current contract: $6,400,000/a year thru 2027

The post Red Wings Review: Gibson Might be Seeing Goalies in the Rearview appeared first on Detroit Hockey Now.

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