Red Wings Players to Watch in 2025-26: John Gibson

Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman pulled off a pair of trades during the offseason, first trading the underperforming veteran Vladimir Tarasenko and his $4.75 million cap hit to the Minnesota Wild. 

Secondly, he acquired goaltender John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Petr Mrazek, who had just wrapped up his second stint with the club after he was re-acquired in a deal with the Chicago Blackhawks in March. 

The hope of Yzerman is that Gibson represents Detroit's first true starting goaltender in the last several seasons since the days of Jimmy Howard. 

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Starting in 2018, the Red Wings have featured the likes of Howard, Jonathan Bernier, Thomas Greiss, Alex Nedeljkovic, Ville Husso, Alex Lyon, James Reimer, Cam Talbot, and Mrazek between the pipes, none of whom were able to firmly take hold of the starter's reigns. 

Additionally, no Red Wings goaltender has managed to record a save percentage better than .904 over the last four seasons. While Detroit's porous defense played a role in that statistic, the fact that no goalie was able to firmly emerge as a bonafide starter was a concern. 

Enter Gibson. This past season with the Ducks—his final one with the franchise that drafted him 39th overall in 2011—he posted a .912 save percentage, his best mark since recording a .917 in the 2018-19 campaign.

While he's only 31 years old, Gibson was made expendable in Anaheim due to the emergence of Lukáš Dostál.

A veteran of 506 NHL games with 204 victories, Gibson immediately slots in as Detroit’s No. 1 goaltender. If he can stay healthy, the Red Wings would like him to play around 50 games, which would allow 38-year-old Cam Talbot, who played well in his first season with Detroit, to settle comfortably into a backup role.

Whether the Red Wings can finally end their nearly decade-long postseason drought, the longest in franchise history, will largely depend on Gibson’s play and durability.

Fans will be hoping he can help bring playoff hockey to Little Caesars Arena for the first time since the venue opened. Gibson, meanwhile, already brings multiple rounds of postseason experience to the table, and believes that the Red Wings could be on the cusp of making something special happen.

“Their resume over the last few years shows that they’re right there,” Gibson said via the Red Wings' official website in July. “That’s where I want to be. I want to be fighting for the playoffs and get in the playoffs. I truly feel that all you got to do is make it in the playoffs, and once you do that it’s a whole new season whether you’re the Presidents’ Trophy Winner or the eighth seed. You never know what could happen.”

Gibson’s acquisition was a calculated gamble by Yzerman, aimed at buying more time for highly touted goaltending prospects Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine to continue their development, while also providing Detroit with an established starter in net.

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