John Gibson’s injury creates challenges and opportunities for Ducks in net

The Anaheim Ducks announced on X that veteran John Gibson had an emergency appendectomy that will cause him to miss the start of the season.

Gibson has been a stalwart for the Ducks franchise. The 31-year-old sits atop the franchise’s leaderboard in both games played with 477 and saves with 13,294. He provides significant experience to a goaltending corps that is lacking in that department.

In Gibson’s absence, the Ducks will look to Lukas Dostal to take on an increased workload. Dostal had a breakout season last year, with he and Gibson in tandem roles. Both goalies posted similar stats in near-identical games played.

Gostal posted a record of 14-23-3 with a .902 save percentage, compared to Gibson’s 13-27-2 at .888. The question is, can the 24-year-old Czech goalie handle a heavier workload if Gibson is out for six weeks?

The Anaheim Ducks need to find a way to work around John Gibson's injury

Anaheim Coach Greg Cronin will also need to find an acceptable backup goalie. Beyond Gibson and Dostal, NHL experience amongst the remaining candidates is nearly nonexistent.

Veteran journeyman Oscar Dansk is the most likely option. Dansk is the only other rostered goalie with NHL experience. He tallied six starts for the Vegas Golden Knights from 2017 to 2021.

Beyond Dansk, the remaining options are a pair of 22-year-old prospects in Calle Clang and Vyacheslav Buteyets.

Clang has spent most of his North American playing career with the Ducks’ AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls. Buteyets will likely be assigned to the AHL club for his first season of North American hockey.

Despite his tenure, Gibson is the Duck most often mentioned in trade rumors. With Dostal the clear long-term goalie and the Ducks rebuilding, Gibson feels out of place.

Elliotte Friedman spoke on Gibson’s situation on a recent 32:Thoughts podcast. "I also believe that the Ducks and Gibson have been working together to try to find him a new home, obviously that hasn't happened yet, but I do believe the situation is similar for Gibson,” Friedman said.

Gibson’s absence should provide some clarity on the Ducks' goaltending situation. It is a less-than-ideal situation, but it also allows an opportunity for someone to step up and make an impression.

If the team intends to move Gibson at some point, then the franchise’s goaltending questions need to be answered.