The Detroit Red Wings acquired John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, a trade of the veteran goaltender that could start the dominos falling around the NHL with several teams looking for help in net.
Detroit sent backup goalie Petr Mrazek, a 2027 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-rounder to Anaheim for Gibson, whose name has been in trade rumors for several years. No salary was retained.
''John, throughout the course of his career, has been a proven starter and a good starter in the NHL,'' Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman said on a video call with reporters.
''As Anaheim has gone through their rebuilding process, I think it probably affected his play a little bit, and as their team gets better and they have a good, young goaltender in (Lukas) Dostal. John (is) looking for more opportunity to play, and we're counting on him obviously to give us quality starts and upgrade our team in net.''
Gibson, 31, has spent his first 12 years in the league with Anaheim. He started 28 games, compared to 49 for Dostal, last season, and he's signed for two more at a salary cap hit of $6.4 million.
Ducks GM Pat Verbeek worked under Yzerman for a decade, and the two began speaking about Gibson before the trade deadline in March. Injuries derailed a move then but set the table for the western Pennsylvania native to go to Hockeytown.
''We want to thank John for his time with our organization and being an integral part of the Ducks for more than a decade,'' Verbeek said. ''It became clear John wanted a new opportunity, and after many discussions with him we felt now was the right time to make this move.''
Goalie market
