Once again, we have another major goaltender taking center stage in the rumor mill, and yep, the Buffalo Sabres are once again linked to them.
A few weeks back, I wrote that the Buffalo Sabres in no way, shape, or form, even consider trading for John Gibson. But I never should have worried so much, because that trade isn’t happening anyway. For one, while Gibson was playing for a bad hockey team last season, or to be more accurate, the last few years, his numbers were worse than uninspiring (3.99 GAA/0.899 save percentage/0.481 quality starts percentage).
And while his stats never dipped that low in the preceding years, the former Jennings Trophy winner has been putting up marginal performances since 2019-20. Gibson, who turns 30 eight days from the time of this writing, also carries an AAV of $6.4 million through 2026-27. Buffalo has a pair of defensemen they want to extend, so naturally, they will be given top priority over potentially adding Gibson’s salary.
I elaborated further on why the ‘hard pass’ is necessary in that previous article. But now that the Sabres signed two major free agents in Erik Johnson and Connor Clifton, it further solidifies the fact they’re making the right decision and rolling with their young goaltenders in Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
Buffalo Sabres aren’t trading for Gibson, so let’s stop talking about it
If the Sabres were serious about trading for Gibson (or any goaltender, like Connor Hellebuyck or Juuse Saros), they weren’t signing a pair of blueliners on Day One of free agency. Johnson’s and Clifton’s respective presence will help out a pair of young goaltenders the Sabres repeatedly said they have faith in. And while I’m confident Levi can be a productive goaltender behind even spotty defensive play, Luukkonen will benefit from what should be more reliable defense.
This isn’t to say the Sabres don’t have assets or the cap space to trade for Gibson. Depending on what Anaheim wants, Buffalo has early draft picks for 2024, sound A and B prospects, and trade chips like Victor Olofsson, Henri Jokiharju, and Jacob Bryson.
But then you need to look at the goaltenders the team has. Eric Comrie is the “forgotten man” in this bunch, and trading for Gibson would mean potentially adding a fourth goaltender to the roster if someone like Comrie isn’t part of the trade package.
So not only is this trade unlikely to begin with, it makes absolutely no sense to even consider. That said, the Gibson trade isn’t happening. So let’s start talking about what is going to happen, like Levi and Luukkonen forging what could be an exciting tandem behind an improved blue line.
Source: 3 Possible Destinations After John Gibson Requests Trade From Ducks by Richard Jelinek, PuckProse.com