Despite John Gibson's disastrous debut in a Detroit Red Wings uniform, there is no way the team should anoint Cam Talbot as the top, clear-cut No. 1 netminder. Doing so would not only shatter Gibson's confidence, but it's also putting faith in an aging netminder who didn't hold up that well in 2024-25.
While coach Todd McLellan does and should hold his players accountable and on short leashes to the point he's not afraid to slash ice time after a bad outing, he still needs to allow room for a bounce-back effort. And, given Gibson's performances with the Anaheim Ducks a season ago, he should have no trouble getting into a rhythm if McLellan lets him.
And to be frank, he needs to throw Gibson out there against a tough opponent like the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, or Edmonton Oilers. It's counterintuitive, given the way Gibson played in that season opener when he gave up five goals on 13 shots, but it's also uncharacteristic of what he has shown over the past decade with Anaheim.
Gibson was the reason the Ducks didn't look totally hopeless following their playoff runs when he was one of the best netminders in hockey. And with a better team in Detroit? There is no way you make him "one and done" because he played poorly for 37 minutes and 12 seconds.
Cam Talbot should be a 1A compared to John Gibson as a 1B
If Talbot keeps outperforming Gibson, then he has earned the right to be a 1A goaltender and start between 55 and 60 percent of the games, which would give him between 45 and 49 starts compared to Gibson, who could man the net for between 33 and 37 games.
This would keep Talbot as the netminder routinely seeing more action as the hot hand, but also keep him from burning out or seeing a decline in performance. As for Gibson, he could land in a sweet spot and close to where he was with the Ducks in 2024-25 when he saw action in 29 games and ended up with a 0.911 save percentage and a 2.77 GAA.
Cam Talbot hasn't been a clear-cut No. 1 goaltender in years
Fans may want to see Talbot locked in as a true No. 1 netminder, but would it be wise for someone in their age-38 season to start between 55 and 60 games, despite his gaudy numbers - 0,925 save percentage, 2.11 GAA? Not that Talbot isn't capable, but he hasn't logged over 55 starts in a single season since 2017-18. So it would be a stretch to ask so much.
He may be the "hot hand," but we're also three games into a six-month season, and anything can happen. It's tempting, but nobody in the Red Wings coaching staff or front office needs to make any rash decisions.
Keep rolling with Talbot and Gibson, and if Gibson proves he's a bad fit come December, start looking for other options. But nobody needs to relegate a guy to a backup role so early because of one bad game. That would be pure recklessness.