Ducks' John Gibson Can Be Perfect Replacement Goalie In Carolina

It is at the point where John Gibson's contract with the Anaheim Ducks is tradeable, especially with how the veteran has performed this season. In 26 games, the 31-year-old has a 2.82 GAA and .910 SV% on a team already out of the playoff hunt.

What makes the Ducks able and likely willing to move Gibson is the special play by young Lukas Dostal who is the present and future of the team in net. He has played 44 games this season and has slightly worse numbers than Gibson, but that is to be expected from having more chances to get lit up from high-end teams throughout the season.

Dostal has played a ton and been relied upon heavily while Gibson has been in and out of the lineup. With the Ducks on the rise, they need to move forward. Handing Gibson off to an out of conference team doesn't seem bad at all. The Caroline Hurricanes have expressed interest in Gibson before, but with Pyotr Kochetkov and Frederik Andersen signed, nothing materialized.

Andersen will be a free agent in the offseason and Kochetkov is still very underpaid for a couple of more years. He has taken on starting duties at times, but for a long time the Hurricanes have liked the two goalie approach. With health how it is, that is a smart move. This is why the team isn't likely to head into next season with a pure backup goalie to Kochetkov. Pierre LeBrun reported that the Ducks and Hurricanes discussed a Gibson trade at the deadline, so conversations should come up again after the season.

The Ducks should have no problem retaining cap and the Hurricanes should have no second thoughts about making a move like this as they are in their window to win. Andersen has been a good Hurricane while healthy, but that hasn't been the case more often than not unfortunately. Though Gibson doesn't regularly stay healthy all season, he is still an upgrade in that regard to Andersen.

The Hurricanes might have some competition to acquire Gibson from the Ducks in the offseason, but they should be aggressive nonetheless.