NHL Rumors: 3 goalies that might be traded very soon
There are a few NHL goalies that might be traded away very soon.
The National Hockey League usually has a very good trade deadline in terms of fan entertainment. There are a lot of players that pack their things and move during this period.
2023-24 is probably going to be no different in terms of movement but there is extra stress on one position this year. There may be a lot of goalies that are traded by the time that deadline comes.
There are a lot of teams that need to add a net-minder if they are going to have any chance of making the playoffs let alone winning in the playoffs.
Out of all the goalies that could be on the move, these are the three that could be headed out the door quickly:
Jacob Markstrom of the Calgary Flames could be traded if he is healthy
Jacob Markstrom is considered day-to-day right now because of an injury but he is someone that could be on his way out of the Calgary Flames organization soon.
We know that Kevin Weekes likes to be somewhat cryptic on Twitter at times but he usually has good information. He wouldn't have tweeted a picture of Markstrom with an eyeball emoji if he didn't hear from a good source that there was a chance he's moved.
Being out with an injury may complicate things for the Flames if they are indeed trying to move him but he would be so worth it for a potential playoff team to add.
So far this season, he is 13-11-2 with a 2.59 goals against average and a .912 save percentage. The fact that is record is as mediocre as that with these insane stats tells you how bad the Calgary Flames have been. They'd be very wise to get assets for him now.
Elvis Merzlikins could be traded by the Columbus Blue Jackets any time
We already know that Elvis Merzlikins has requested a trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets. We don't know whether or not they have started trying or if they even will.
Like Markstrom, Merzlikins got a cryptic Tweet about him from Kevin Weekes as well. These came before the news that Merzlikins officially requested a trade from Columbus.
The Blue Jackets have been bad again this year which is a shame. It felt like they might take another step forward after injuries killed them last year but a lot of factors are contributing to another nightmare season here in 2023-24.
Merzlikins is 8-8-6 with a 3.22 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage. You can't help but wonder what his stats would look like if he were brought over to another team that plays much better in front of him.
He might not be as coveted as a guy like Markstrom but the Markstrom does play on a much better team right now. The injuries that Markstrom is dealing with might also sway teams to look in another direction. Merzlikins could be that guy for someone.
John Gibson is someone that may be on the move sometime soon
John Gibson didn't get a cryptic tweet from Kevin Weekes like Jacob Markstrom and Elvis Merzlikins but there are still plenty of reasons to think that he could be traded soon.
For one, he is on a very bad team that doesn't do a lot of winning. The Anaheim Ducks have a lot of very good forwards to be excited about going forward but this is still very much a rebuilding year for them.
Gibson hasn't been amazing on this lousy team as he is just 8-17-0 with a 3.13 goals-against average and an .899 save percentage. These aren't unsalvagable stats if he starts to be better right now.
Getting to a good team might be the only way for him to do that. The Ducks are not good in their end and a different goalie might have even worse numbers than this on that team.
It is time for the two to separate. Gibson was there for a few good years with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry but he has also been there since they started to fall off. They have been very bad for a while now and his timeline doesn't match with theirs.
It is a bit of a risk to trade for Gibson because of his numbers but the team trading for him would likely be a good one that has a chance to win games. This team that acquires him needs to put him in the best chance to win.