Red Wings solve major pain point with John Gibson blockbuster

The Detroit Red Wings stunned the hockey world on the second day of the 2025 NHL Draft by landing number-one goalie John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks in a blockbuster trade.

The deal sent shockwaves through the NHL as the Red Wings solved a major pain point: The lack of a bona fide starting goaltender.

The deal sent Gibson to Hockeytown with netminder Petr Mrazek going to sunny California along with a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 fourth-rounder.

The early reviews on the trade are that the Red Wings hit a home run. In reality, the deal only cost the Red Wings a backup goaltender. The two draft picks, as always, are nothing more than lottery tickets.

But just the fact that the trade didn’t cost the Red Wings a first-round pick is a huge coup. The Wings get the goalie they needed to contend, while keeping prospects and core players in tow.

There’s no other way the Red Wings could have pulled off a better trade.

The Red Wings struggled with goaltending this past season. The Wings were 21st in GAA at 3.16. The club was 20th with an .896 save percentage.

Those numbers weren’t going to cut it this upcoming season. If the Wings were going to be serious playoff contenders, their goaltending had to improve.

Wings general manager Steve Yzerman did just that. Adding the 31-year-old Gibson gives the Red Wings an instant upgrade. Gibson posted a 2.77 GAA and a .912 save percentage in 29 games during an injury-filled 2024-25 season.

The Ducks were ready to move on from Gibson after rookie Lukas Dostal emerged as the team’s starter during Gibson’s absence. The trade allows Gibson to push the reset button after multiple seasons of trade speculation.

Red Wings get their starting goalie at solid price

Along with John Gibson’s solid numbers comes his contract. Gibson is entering the seventh year of an eight-year, $51.2 million deal. He’s owed $6.4 million for the next two seasons.

That’s a solid cap hit for a true No. 1 netminder. The going rate around the league for true No. 1’s is much higher. So, that gives the Red Wings two more seasons of Gibson at a reasonable cap hit.

Meanwhile, the Wings have Cam Talbot on the books for one more season at $2.5 million. As it stands, Talbot could serve as Gibson’s backup and insurance in case Gibson goes down with injury.

Alex Lyon, the Red Wings’ other goaltender this past season, is a UFA. It’s unlikely the team brings him back at this point unless he signs another league-minimum deal and is willing to start the season in the AHL.

Red Wings fans should keep an eye on Talbot. The Wings might try to move him to a team that urgently needs a goalie. In my estimation, however, the Red Wings will hold onto Talbot as he runs his contract out this season.