Updated 2x at 9:52 PM: Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman spoke with the NHL Network’s E.J. Hradek after making the trade to bring 31-year-old goaltender John Gibson to Detroit, as noted by NHL.com’s staff writers…
“(Ducks general manager) Pat (Verbeek) and I had some discussions last season around — if I recall — the Trade Deadline,” Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman told NHL Network on Saturday. “John was dealing with some injuries at that time, so the timing didn’t really work. Leading up to the draft as we all do our offseason work, we had some discussions and as we got closer here, we were able to (make the trade).
Gibson has two seasons remaining on the eight-year contract he signed with Anaheim on Aug. 4, 2018. He is 204-217-63 with a 2.89 GAA, a .910 save percentage and 24 shutouts in 506 regular-season games (494 starts) and 11-13 with a 2.80 GAA, a .912 save percentage and one shutout in 26 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
He earned the William Jennings Trophy, given to the goalie on the team with the fewest goals-against, after the 2015-16 season when he was 21-13-4 with a .920 save percentage and 2.07 GAA in 40 games. He shared the award with teammate Frederik Andersen.
In the past two seasons, Lukas Dostal has emerged as the No. 1 goalie in Anaheim. The 25-year-old was 23-23-7 this season with a 3.29 GAA and a .902 save percentage.
“I just placed a call in to John, I haven’t talked to him yet, Yzerman said. “There was no need to convince him (to come to Detroit). Our understanding he was looking for a fresh start and saw an opportunity in Detroit to get in the net and play a lot of games. I look forward to speaking with him. I’ve been assured he’s excited about coming to Detroit and we’re excited to have him.”
And Shap Shots’ Sean Shapiro reflected upon the Red Wings’ new tandem of Gibson and Cam Talbot in his Substack blog:
Gibson will form a veteran tandem with Calm Talbot, with Gibson as more of the set No. 1 goalie after the deal.
It was always unlikely that Sebastian Cossa would be an NHL option this season, but this likely locks in another full AHL season for Cossa, who at 22 has now played 84 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins.
The Cossa case is an interesting one and I spoke with a goalie coach from a different NHL team, who noted that Cossa is reaching a weird spot in his development where NHL games would probably be better for his development than only AHL reps.
The case, they made, was that Cossa is technically close to being an NHL goalie. The consistency isn’t there yet, which is important, but there’s something about being “forced to swim in the deep end,” that tells you whether a goalie is going to make it or not.
After the draft Steve Yzerman said he would still talk to Alex Lyon, but his body language told a different story about potentially bringing back the journeyman as a third goalie.
Yzerman did speak at length about Michal Postava, who was signed recently out of Czechia, and how he could be part of the tandem that pushes Cossa in Grand Rapids.
On the goalie front, Yzerman confirmed that Head of Goaltending Scouting and Development Phil Osaer was leaving the organization to go into the business world after helping with this draft. It means the Red Wings goalie department will have lost both it’s head of development and it’s goalie coach, Alex Westlund, who was fired after the season.
Shapiro continues (paywall), discussing both Red Wings and Dallas Stars-related topics…
FYI:
Random note: Kris Draper just told us that Carter Mazur is weighing in at 195 pounds now.
— Sean Shapiro (@seanshapiro) June 28, 2025
Update: Here’s more from MLive’s Ansar Khan:
“John has been, throughout the course of his career, a proven starter and a good starter in the NHL,” Yzerman said. “As Anaheim’s gone through their rebuilding process, I think probably affected his play a little bit. And as their team gets better and they have a good young goaltender in (Lukas) Dostal, John was looking for more opportunity to play. We’re counting on him to give us quality starts and upgrade our team in net.”
The Red Wings added a little bit to their cap by assuming the final two years of Gibson’s contract at a $6.4 million average annual value in exchange for the final year of Mrazek’s deal at $4.25 million, but they have plenty of cap space.
Gibson, 31, was limited to 29 games due to injuries and illness (missed the first 12 games due to an appendectomy, then was sidelined for seven games with a lower-body injury in March) as well as Dostal’s emergence as a starter. Gibson went 11-11-2 with a 2.77 goals-against average and .912 save percentage.
He’s been a workhorse for many years, spending his entire career in Anaheim and posting career numbers of 204-217-63, 2.89 GAA, .910 save percentage and 24 shutouts on a team that made the playoffs only four times in 12 years.
“John has historically, throughout his career, been a good goaltender,” Yzerman said. “Anaheim went through a rebuilding process and they’re coming out of that. We’re sitting here today banking that, one, John has battled through that, that he’s going to be able to maintain a high level. And we like to think we’re a reasonably solid team that’s moving forward, that be fine in this role.”
Gibson will team up with Cam Talbot, who turns 38 a week from today.
Yzerman said he’s also seeking a third goal and has reached out to Alex Lyon, who started each of the past two seasons as the No. 3 man.
Update #2: Here’s more from the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan:
“John has been, throughout the course of his career, proven to be a good starter in the NHL,” Yzerman said. “Anaheim has gone through its rebuilding process, and it affected his play a little bit. The team gets better and they have a good young goaltender in Dostal, and John is looking for an opportunity to play. We’re counting on him, obviously, to give us quality starts and upgrade our team in net.”
Yzerman made initial contact with Anaheim GM Pat Verbeek, who used to be Yzerman’s assistant in Tampa, in March at the trade deadline. But Gibson was hurt at the time, ending any discussions. Yzerman and Verbeek reopened discussions this offseason, with Gibson looking for more of an opportunity to play.
Gibson was generally considered to be the best goaltender available this summer, either through trade or free agency.
“Taking into account the player we’re acquiring, and what we have to give up to acquire him, what I like about this is we think John has a lot of good hockey left in him,” Yzerman said. “We’re very hopeful of that and believe in that, and we thought it was a good option. He’s signed for two (more) seasons and that gives us, both of us, options to see how things play out.”
