Trade Pitch Sees Red Wings Acquiring Star $51 Million Goalie in Blockbuster

The Detroit Red Wings are looking to end their playoff drought and one trade pitch has the team acquiring a star goalie.

The website PuckPedia‘s PuckGM tool lets users create their own trades. One user proposed a deal that would see the Red Wings acquire John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks.

Red Wings acquire:

• John Gibson

Ducks acquire:

• Ben Chiarot
• Andrew Copp
• Marco Kasper
• 2026 first-round pick
• 2026 second-round pick

The proposed deal would see the Red Wings acquire a bonafide starting goalie in the NHL in Gibson but would give up plenty of assets, including a first and second-round pick.

Gibson is in the sixth year of his eight-year $51.2 million deal. The star goalie would immediately bolster the Red Wings’ net, and would allow Detroit to try and move Ville Husso or Cam Talbot for other assets. Gibson has been inconsistent at times, but that likely is due to him playing for the Ducks. The American is a three-time NHL All-Star.

Gibson could also then allow top goalie prospect Sebastian Cossa more time in the AHL to develop and eventually take over as Detroit’s starting goalie.

In return, the Red Wings do part ways with two draft picks as well as three players. Chiarot is in the third year of his four-year $19 million deal. He’s currently on Detroit’s second-pairing on defense. Last season, he recorded 5 goals and 15 assists for 20 points in 17 games.

Copp, meanwhile, hasn’t lived up to expectations since Detroit signed him to a five-year $28.13 million deal in July of 2022. The veteran forward is on the Red Wings’ third line, but moving him gives Detroit much-needed cap space to add to this group. Last season, Copp recorded 13 goals and 20 assists for 33 points in 79 games.

The final player Detroit trades is Kasper who was selected eighth overall in the 2022 NHL draft. The forward prospect is playing in the AHL again as last season in the minors, he recorded 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points in 71 games.

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Gibson Mentioned As Trade Candidate

With the Ducks being a rebuilding team, Gibson’s name has come up in trade talks.

Gibson’s name was mentioned in trade rumors this summer and Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said there is a market out there for him.

“John’s still a really good goalie,” Verbeek said to The Athletic in June. “Obviously there’s a market for goalies out there.”

NHL insider Pierre LeBrun confirmed there were trade talks around Gibson but nothing came to fruition. He also says the team is comfortable keeping Gibson but would be open to moving him if the right deal came up.

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Red Wings Carrying 3 Goalies on NHL Roster

Detroit broke camp with three goalies on their roster, Ville Husso, Cam Talbot, and Alex Lyon.

NHL teams rarely carry three goalies and before the season started, Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman said it was something the team talked about during training camp.

“Everybody’s healthy today,” Yzerman said. “It’s just Ville hasn’t played in quite a while. So we’ve got to see how he does. Then we’ll potentially make any decisions with our roster, if we can carry the three goaltenders. If everybody’s healthy, we’ll have to make a decision on carrying three or making a move, but we’ll wait and see how things play out.”

Husso is in the final year of his three-year $14.75 million deal. Talbot signed a two-year $5 million deal with Detroit this offseason, and Lyon is in the final year of his two-year $1.8 million deal.

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