TSN: Pierre LeBrun on with Jay Onrait on Anaheim Geese and goaltender John Gibson being open to a change and what groups might be focused on buying and selling for him.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Onrait: “You additionally wrote this week about potential touchdown spots for John Gibson. Pay attention, we’ve been speaking about this for a very long time. However now it feels just like the Geese actually have a goaltender sooner or later in Lukas Dostal, regardless that they’re struggling as soon as once more.
However they’ve obtained their goalie of the long run. The query is, can they discover somebody to take Gibson in that large contract? What are some potential touchdown spots in your thoughts Pierre?”
LeBrun: “Proper? And one of many causes I wrote about that is I believe issues have shifted a bit. You’re proper, he’s been out there for greater than a 12 months. And for individuals watching, it’s necessary to know that the Geese have been open to transferring him, but in addition, John Gibson and his agent have been open to that too. They’re working all in live performance. They’ve all been on the identical date, saying it’s time for me to go some other place. And so they’re doing it in live performance. Like there’s no stress right here on this.
What has scared groups away, particularly final 12 months, was that there was nonetheless plenty of time period left on his contract that pays him $6.4 million a 12 months. And hear, now there’s two extra years left on his contract after this 12 months that pays him six over.
So it’s not like that’s completely gone away. The distinction is the cap goes up meaningfully now yearly, as we all know. Quantity two, prime goalies at the moment are signing for $8.5 million a 12 months. All of a sudden at 6.4, if John Gibson finds himself, it doesn’t look horrible. Quantity three, I believe the Geese at the moment are able to eat and retain wage in a John Gibson commerce. I don’t know in the event that they have been prepared to do this a 12 months in the past.
So there’s plenty of components which can be main as much as the truth that I believe everybody concerned is extra motivated to see this occurring earlier than March 7. The truth is, I do know they’re.
Now the query is, who steps up? And you recognize, there’s a pair groups specifically that I believe are nice matches. One is Carolina. One is Colorado.
Now, having dug in on this, let’s begin with the Avalanche. So thirty first within the league, targets in opposition to. I don’t have to clarify that an excessive amount of. However the Avs, my understanding is, are steadfast of their perception that Alexandar Gorgiev will flip this round. They level to the truth that he went toe-to-toe with Connor Hellebuyck and Jake Ottinger within the playoffs final 12 months. And he did, by the best way. The Avs didn’t lose out within the second spherical of the goaltending.
And so they assume they’re going to be okay. They insist, for higher, for worse, Colorado insists they’re not goalie looking. In order that’s most likely an X in the case of a chance for John Gibson, who I believe could be excellent there.
Carolina could be very fascinating to me. I do know for a incontrovertible fact that John Gibson is on their radar record. Doesn’t imply essentially they’ll decide up the telephone, however he’s a reputation they’ve bandied about.
Freddie Anderson’s out once more. They’re nonetheless evaluating him, however I believe it’s going to be a pair months at the least, after which what’s he like when he comes again? So there’s some concern there about their depth. I imply, what retains Eric Tulsky, the GM, up at night time, little question in my thoughts, is what occurs (Pyotr) Kochetkov will get damage come playoff time.”
Onrait: “Sure.”
LeBrun: “What do you do should you’re Carolina? So I do know for a reality the Hurricanes are calling round and inspecting the goalie market simply so that they’re prepared. Whether or not or not they go after Gibson or one other goalie earlier than March seventh stays to be seen.
However I really like the match if, if John Gibson turns into a $4 million goalie as a substitute of a $6.4 million goalie, I’m telling you that man goes to seek out his A sport once more on a contender.”
Onrait: “And also you make such an excellent level about Carolina, you recognize, they’ve all the time been reluctant to pay goaltenders, proper? So should you may, if Anaheim could be keen to eat a bit little bit of that cash, perhaps there’s a match there.”
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