ESPN’s Ryan S. Clark and Kristen Shilton discuss the biggest “burning question” facing every NHL team this morning, and there’s a trend in terms of the Red Wings’ situation:
Detroit Red Wings
Will John Gibson be a game-changer for the Red Wings?It’s not like Detroit hasn’t had decent goaltending in recent years. What the Red Wings have lacked is consistency. For all the good runs Ville Husso or Petr Mrazek managed to put together, they inevitably bookended too many subpar stretches that, combined with Detroit’s below-average defensive play, held the Red Wings back from fulfilling their potential.
Well, the midseason addition of new head coach Todd McLellan yielded improvement. And now, enter John Gibson. GM Steve Yzerman traded for the veteran netminder from Anaheim in a bold offseason move that could be the difference between whether Detroit sinks or swims this season.
Gibson may have struggled with the rebuilding Ducks, but the Red Wings are a more established team with enough talent to support him. He still posted a .911 save percentage in 29 appearances last season, showing he has the potential to reclaim his form as a No. 1 goalie. If Gibson can indicate early on he’s a reliable presence in the crease, then confidence should spread in Detroit and give them a boost that’s been missing. Can Gibson provide all that in Year One? We’ll find out.
Continued; I’m not expecting any miracles here, but a steady Gibson and a less-overworked Cam Talbot should equal a solid goaltending pair, with Sebastian Cossa and/or Michal Postava waiting in the wings.
