Ducks fans did not know what to expect from goaltending going into the 2024-25 NHL season. Projected starter John Gibson had an emergency appendectomy on September 25th. The team soon announced the veteran goalie would miss the first 3-6 weeks of the season.
In Gibson’s unexpected absence, the team has turned to the other piece of last season’s goalie tandem, 24-year-old Lukas Dostal. Before the season, the question became whether the largely unproven Dostal could shoulder the burden of an increased role. Three weeks later, it is safe to say the answer–so far–is a resounding yes.
Ducks have gotten 9 of 14 possible points in Lukas Dostal's 7 games so far this season despite shots on goal being 245-186 and high danger chances being 106-58 for the other team. What a beast
— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) October 30, 2024
Dostal has started 7 of 9 games for Anaheim thus far. Through that sample, his stats have been stellar. He leads the NHL with a .943 save percentage despite facing the third-most shots at 244. He also sits atop the NHL leaderboards in saves (230), goals saved above average (11), and goalie point shares (2.5).
Gibson’s long-term future is unclear
John Gibson has long been the subject of trade rumors in Anaheim. It would make sense if the team wanted to find a way to remove his $6.4 million annual cap hit from their books. However, finding a suitable trade partner for that salary seems challenging.
Gibson is an outlier on the Ducks. The team is still deep in rebuild mode while Gibson’s prime is approaching. It feels like the player and the team are on different timelines. His current contract runs through the 26-27 season.
Gibson has spent his entire NHL career with the Ducks, who drafted him in the second round of the 2011 draft. He and Dostal shared a near-even split for starts last season. The duo finished last season with similar stats as well. Each of them earned 14 wins, with Dostal slightly edging Gibson in save percentage, .902 to .899.
Dostal is the goalie of the future
Dostal is certainly making a case for himself as the team’s future number-one netminder. He has performed beyond what anyone could have predicted to start the season. He is also a big reason that the Ducks have a 4-4-1 record, putting the team on pace for 82 points after back-to-back years of 58 and 59 points.
Time will tell if Dostal can maintain a level of play close to his current output. For now, though, he looks like he belongs among the NHL’s elite goaltenders.