Ducks G John Gibson may be available, per report
The Leafs are in a strange position right now when it comes to goaltenders, specifically after they elected to place backup Petr Mrazek on waivers on Sunday. With Jack Campbell and Joseph Woll both dealing with injuries, the Leafs are currently hinging their success on the play of 25-year-old rookie Erik Kallgren.
Marc-Andre Fleury is a name that we've heard a lot in recent weeks, and there is no denying that Flower would be a solid addition to a Leafs team who is getting desperate to compete for a Stanley Cup, but Fleury to the Leafs, at this point, is controlled by one man. Marc-Andre Fleury. The veteran netminder does have the ability to block a trade to Toronto if he so chooses, but if he believes the Leafs can win, he may be willing to waive his NTC to accept a trade to Toronto.
Other than Fleury, there aren't many clear upgrades available for the Leafs, so now the question becomes, are the Leafs of the mindset that they can win with Campbell and Kallgren? Or do they try to make a move to pry a quality goaltender, who may not necessarily be available, away from his current team?
According to The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta, there may be a very late addition in the goalie market. Anaheim Ducks netminder John Gibson.
Now, I don't want to speculate as to what the Leafs would have to give up in order to acquire Gibson, but it would be an enormous amount - of that I have no doubt. Gibson, 28, has 5 seasons remaining on his contract after this one, earning $6.4M per season.
Gibson has been a stellar goaltender through much of his 9-year NHL career, but his numbers have dipped significantly over the last 3 seasons. The argument can certainly be made that the team in front of him hasn't been particularly strong, but Gibson has not posted a cumulative save percentage above .906 in any one of the last 3 seasons. His best season-long GAA over that span is 2.98.
The Leafs may yet have a bold move up their sleeve, but I think it all hinges on what happens on Monday with Petr Mrazek. If claimed off of the waiver wire, the Leafs would have some additional cap space available to them. If he does clear, perhaps a trade can be made with a team looking for some goaltending depth, but who may not necessarily have an NHL roster spot available. If Mrazek clears, he becomes a more intriguing option for teams because they won't have to worry about waiving him to send him to their AHL affiliate.
We're just a few short hours away from the answer to most or all of our Maple Leafs questions for the home stretch leading up to the playoffs. Buckle up, Leafs Nation.
| POLL | ||
MARS 21 | 251 ANSWERS Ducks G John Gibson may be available, per report Should the Leafs take a run at John Gibson? | ||
| No, he'd be too expensive to acquire | 76 | 30.3 % |
| Of course! He's a great goalie! | 98 | 39 % |
| His numbers aren't great. Pass. | 50 | 19.9 % |
| Pay the price, no matter what it is. | 27 | 10.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
