As per a release by the team on Thursday, Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson underwent emergency appendectomy surgery last night and is expected to be sidelined for the next 3-6 weeks. This is not great news for the team, but the concern is that he gets back to full health and isn’t affected by any lingering issues as he joins the team as soon as he’s healthy.
Gibson is the Ducks’ starting netminder and he’s been a workhorse, starting over 50 games in five of the last six full NHL seasons. The 31-year-old leads the franchise in games played and saves by a goaltender, while ranking second in wins and third in shutouts.
Gibson must have a solid season. With some less-than-ideal numbers in 2023-24, there has been talk that Gibson might be on the trade block and would welcome a chance to play with a contender as the Ducks go through a rebuild/retool.
For a competitive team, Gibson would be a nice addition. Over the last four seasons, he’s one of only four NHL goalies with 5,000-plus saves, alongside Connor Hellebuyck, Juuse Saros, and Andrei Vasilevskiy. He also ranks 10th in starts (187) and 11th in appearances (190) during that span. His contract is a bit of an issue, as he’s making $6.4 million per season over the next three seasons.
With Gibson Gone, Ducks Will Look to Lukáš Dostál
Until Gibson returns, the team will turn to Lukáš Dostál, a 2018 third-round pick who debuted in the NHL in January 2022. Last season, the 24-year-old played a career-high 44 games, starting 38 of them, and posted improved numbers overall.
Dostál is entering his third full season and recently shined at the IIHF World Championships, recording a 1.58 goals-against average. He currently holds a 19-35-6 NHL record with a .902 save percentage, 3.45 GAA, and one shutout.
