There are rumors circulating about the New Jersey Devils possibly expressing interest in Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson. While Gibson’s agent denied any suggestions that the network manager told the team he would never play another game for the Ducks, it has been reported that Gibson told Ducks GM Pat Verbeek of his preference to avoid another rebuilding phase. However, Gibson never issued any ultimatums about his future.
Having already been linked with Connor Hellebuyck, speculation is that the Devils may be switching gears and exploring the possibility of acquiring Gibson as a starting goaltender, given their need for a reliable goaltender.
Asking the question, “Do devils sniff around John Gibson?” In a recent column, Larry Brooks responded by saying:
Why, yes, sources tell us, that’s exactly what New Jersey is doing as they weigh whether Vitek Vanicek-Akira Schmid can take them to the next promised land of division featuring Igor Shesterkin and Ilya Sorokin in a league in which Adin Hill’s side won the trophy.
He’s not the only one associating Gibson with demons. Elliot Friedman explained in his latest 32 Ideas podcast, “Look, John Gibson wants a trade. And the Anaheim family wants the Ducks to take it up on it. I think the Ducks have found this operation harder than they thought (it would be).” He adds that Verbeek is probably asking for a lot but there are many goalkeepers on the market and Gibson has little history of injury. He notes: “And there are a lot of people out there who believe that if he wins, which Anaheim isn’t in now, he’ll take off. I know there are some people who really know Gibson and really love Gibson, who would bet on him in that situation.”
Do demons make sense of Gibson?
The situation is still evolving, and it remains to be seen if the Devils will actively pursue Gibson or if other teams will show interest in the highly regarded goalie. The one thing that sets Gibson apart from the other options is that he’s signed to a shorter-term deal and there’s not much commitment from the Devils. He does have four years left on his contract, but adding Hellebuyck means paying an exorbitant price and then forcing him to pay it all out in a long-term extension with a huge cap number.
As for the team’s interest in Hellebuyck, James Nichols from NJHockeyNow He writes that because of the large amount of time that has passed and because of the large price of Hellebuyck, there is a growing belief that Devils are no longer in the race unless there are major developments or changes in the situation. Circumstances have apparently changed, leading to a feeling that the Devils are unlikely to pursue Hellebuyck as their solution.
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