After two seasons as the Anaheim Ducks number one goaltender, John Gibson has been awarded an 8-year extension worth $51.2 million.
Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson is quietly one of the best goalies in the league. He finished sixth in save percentage among goalies who played 30+ games, and tenth in goals-against average.
Three seasons ago, he was a tandem with current Toronto Maple Leafs netminder Frederik Andersen. But the Ducks took a chance on him and chose Gibson to be their number one. So far, he has lived up to all the expectations. At 25 years old, an eight-year extension takes him all the way through his prime and gives Anaheim stability in the most valuable position in the game.
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Since his debut in the NHL, Gibson’s workload has grown steadily and last season, he played a career-high 60 games in net and had a 31-18-7 record.
Along with the number of games played rising, so are his stats. Both his save percentage and quality starts have improved as his workload grew which is a great sign for the Ducks.
Ironically, he signed his extension the day before he got married. So that’s a pretty nice wedding present. Gibson looks forward to living up to his new great expectations.
"“Whatever position you are, the more you play in this league and everything like that, I think you just feel more comfortable. I think that’s just how it is. Obviously you work on things here and there. But I think with just playing games and having another year under my belt, that just helps with success and helps you personally, confidence-wise. It just makes you feel more comfortable.”"
He is a big man at 6-foot-3, and his leg power from post to post makes him a veritable brick wall in net. Gibson still needs to work on his game in the playoffs, but other than that, he is one of the best goalies in the league.
The Ducks have an aging forward core, but their defense is one of the best in the league and their big four (Cam Fowler, Hampus Lindholm, Josh Manson, Brandon Montour) are 26 or under and locked up long term.
The Anaheim Ducks are a constant playoff threat and with the extension of John Gibson, they just got a whole lot stronger. He’s a massive part of Anaheim’s core and they need him if they want prolonged success.