The Athletic is reporting that veteran goaltender John Gibson would be willing to waive his no-trade clause for the Edmonton Oilers, with the Anaheim Ducks willing to retain salary to move him. Pierre LeBrun writes, “Gibson has a modified no-trade clause, but my understanding is he would consider the Oilers, who came one win short of the Cup last season.”
The trade wouldn’t come without a potential problem. Beyond the salary implications for Edmonton, would the Oilers be willing to try for Gibson if it meant having to move on from Stuart Skinner? That might be their only choice should they wish to pursue this.
LeBrun adds:
But my sense is that goaltending is not the Oilers’ focus right now. That’s not because their goalies have been fantastic but because that type of trade would have a lot of moving parts and affect their cap. Right now, the Oilers are focused on getting their forward group going in a more effective and consistent, offensive way. And closer to March 7, I suspect the blue line will require an addition.
What If Things Change in Net for the Oilers?
While improvements at forward and on defense appear to be the priority for the Oilers, the goaltending has started to become a huge concern. In Thursday’s game between the Oilers and Minnesota Wild, Skinner let in five goals on 26 shots for a .808 save percentage. Skinner hasn’t been great this season. He’s got a 6-6-2 record with a .876 save percentage and 3.33 goals against average. Some believe the Oilers are ride or die with Skinner, but there may come a time when they change their mind if a better, more proven goalie becomes available.
At the same time, not all of this is on Skinner. The Oilers’ defense has been atrocious at times and it’s hard to know if Gibson would fare any better behind such an inconsistent blue line corps.
Gibson has three seasons remaining on his current deal at $6.4 million per season. If the Ducks were to retain 50% –which would require a valuable sweetener from the Oilers — Edmonton is locked in at $3.2 million for the considerable future on a goalie who may be regressing.
It’s one thing take that risk with Skinner as a backup or 1B, but it’s another if the Oilers move on and Gibson doesn’t pan out.
Next: Oilers GM Reveals Unique Advantage in Trade Discussions
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