Elliotte Friedman Reveals Blockbuster Trade Involving John Gibson That Fell Through

Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson finally made his season debut after recovering from an emergency appendectomy that sidelined him since early October.

The 31-year-old showed promise, securing victories in his first three games back.

Gibson's return caught the attention of Pierre LeBrun from 'The Athletic', who speculated on the veteran netminder's trade market value.

While Gibson has frequently appeared in trade rumors over the past two seasons, his $6.4 million annual cap hit through 2026-27 and declining performance with the rebuilding Ducks have diminished his appeal.

Still, LeBrun believes there could be interest in Gibson if Anaheim agrees to retain half of his salary.

Although the Ducks were previously reluctant to consider such a move, that could have changed.

With two years remaining on his deal and the emergence of Lukas Dostal as a possible starting goalie, Anaheim could now be more open to a trade.

As it stands, Gibson does have a 10-team no-trade clause according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, but is willing to consider a wider circle of teams; the bigger question, of course, is whether he can keep off the injured list.

This also brought up an interesting topic, as Friedman revealed that Gibson was nearly traded to the Carolina Hurricanes a few years ago, but unfortunately for both teams, the deal fell through and never happened.

LeBrun listed the Carolina Hurricanes as being a team once again interested in Gibson, so perhaps this time around a deal gets done seeing as their netminder Frederik Anderson is battling an injury.

The Colorado Avalanche are also listed as a potential suitor, as they might also benefit from bolstering their goaltending ranks.