The Detroit Red Wings may have had one of the best offseason acquisitions last summer. Looking to find a quality starting goaltender, the Red Wings pulled off a trade with the Anaheim Ducks for John Gibson. It felt as though Gibson was on the trade block forever in Anaheim, but the Red Wings were able to finally pull it off.
In the past two months, Gibson has proven that the trade was absolutely worth it. In December alone, Gibson posted a 9-1 record in 10 games. This month, Gibson has been lights out, and teams have had difficulty getting pucks past him. That was the case on Wednesday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Red Wings picked up a huge 2-1 win over the Maple Leafs, where Gibson stopped 30-of-31 shots faced. That helped set the stage for Dylan Larkin's game-winning goal.
After the game, Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson touted Gibson's performance in helping them win. Edvinsson then said that he believes that Gibson should be a candidate for the Vezina Trophy, which is given to the league's best goalie.
Simon Edvinsson advocates for John Gibson to win the Vezina Trophy
“I don’t want to hype him up too much but I think he’s a Vezina [Trophy candidate],” said Edvinsson, h/t TSN. “He’s been unreal. Look at the stats, look at the saves he made today. What a goalie he is. I have all the confidence in him that he’s going to perform when we need him the most and he’s been doing that.
It's hard to deny just how good Gibson has been good now that he has a feel for the Red Wings and has built a chemistry with his teammates. Now, Gibson has become an unstoppable goalie. In the month of January, Gibson has a 7-1-0 record, 1.86 goals allowed average, and a .934 save percentage. This is what it means to stand on your head.
On the year, Gibson has a 20-9-1 record, a 2.68 goals allowed average, and a .904 save percentage.
Gibson earning serious Vezina consideration would be great. But he does face some stiff competition. Scott Wedgewood of the Colorado Avalanche has been the biggest surprise of the season, as the former journeyman has been stout in the crease, as evidenced by his league-besst 2.14 goals allowed average and .918 save percentage (third-best in NHL). Logan Thompson of the Washington Capitals owns a .913 save percentage and a 2.43 goals allowed average. Jesper Wallstedt of the Minnesota Wild got off to a fantastic start as a rookie, but has fallen back down to Earth a bit this month. But, Wallstedt still owns a .914 save percentage and 2.70 goals allowed average.
There is still so much time left in the season for Gibson to make his case. The Red Wings are in solid playoff position, and if he continues to play at his December-January pace, he could very well catapult up the rankings for the Vezina Trophy.