Discussing the John Gibson trade and its implications for Sebastian Cossa

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:

Continue reading Discussing the John Gibson trade and its implications for Sebastian Cossa

Another Gibson-for-Mrazek trade grade

After the Red Wings traded Petr Mrazek and two draft picks to the Anaheim Ducks for John Gibson earlier today, The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus and Shayna Goldman offered trade grades, and the same is true for ESPN’s Ryan S. Clark:

Detroit Red Wings
Grade: B+

Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman had plenty of questions to answer this offseason after the club had missed the postseason for nine seasons. One of them is what he and his front office staff would do about their goaltending situation.

They tried different solutions in recent seasons. Ville Husso went from winning 26 games in his first season with the club (2022-23) to being traded to the Ducks during 2024-25. A tandem of Alex Lyon and Cam Talbot combined for a 0.899 save percentage, which is why the Wings traded for Mrazek before the deadline; he had a .902 save percentage in five games.

Lyon is an unrestricted free agent, whereas Mrazek and Talbot both had a year left on their contracts. It presented the possibly they could turn to Sebastian Cossa, their first-round pick from 2021, who finished with a .911 save percentage and a 2.45 goals-against average in the AHL. Some believe he could use another year of development as the Red Wings seek to avoid a 10th consecutive season without the playoffs.

Acquiring Gibson now provides them with a chance to have the stability that has eluded them. Injuries — along with the growth of Lukas Dostal — played a role in why Gibson was limited to 28 starts last season. But in that time, he won 11 games while registering a .912 save percentage — a strong figure compared to what the Red Wings experienced with their options in 2024-25.

The Red Wings could use Gibson and Talbot as a tandem while letting Lyon walk in free agency. The 31-year-old has two years left on his contract at $6.4 million annually, which also gives the Red Wings more time to develop Cossa in the AHL.

Per PuckPedia, Detroit now has $18.411 million in cap space to address a roster that has decisions to make regarding UFAs such as Patrick Kane and a three-player restricted free agent class that includes Jonatan Berggren.

Clark gives the Ducks an A- for unloading Gibson and his contract…

Two Tweets of note from Steve Yzerman’s post-draft presser

Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman revealed two items of note during his post-second-day-of-the-draft presser, as noted by The Athletic’s Max Bultman and the multi-talented (EliteProspects, DLLS Sports, Shap Shots, and more) Sean Shapiro:

The first bit of news is a shock to me because Osaer did a good job as a “goalie whisperer,” and he will be missed by the Wings’ prospects; the second bit of news is a shock, period. I can understand trying to give Vladimir Tarasenko another year, but Justin Holl is Persona Not Great right now, and that’s going to be a tough sell to the paying public.

Red Wings select 8 players over the course of the 2025 NHL Draft’s 7 rounds

The Red Wings selected 8 players over the course of the 2025 NHL Draft’s 7 rounds, including the following…

Carter Bear, 13th overall;

Eddie Genborg, 44th overall;

Michal Pradel, 75th overall;

Brent Solomon, 109th overall;

Michal Svrcek, 119th overall;

Nikita Tyurin, 140th overall;

Will Murphy, 172nd overall;

And Grayden Robertson-Palmer, 204th overall.

A bit more about the Wings’ decision to select Carter Bear

DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills examines the Red Wings’ reasons for selecting Carter Bear 13th overall during the 1st round of the 2025 NHL Draft,

“We’re getting a very intelligent hockey player, extremely competitive,” [Red Wings GM Steve] Yzerman, from Little Caesars Arena, said in a Zoom call with the media on Friday. “At the junior level, he really can score. We think all of his game translates to the NHL as well. I think our fanbase will really take to him when the time comes that he’s playing for the Red Wings because he competes hard, he’s a really good person. I know we’re very excited about this pick.”

This season, Bear tied for seventh in the Western Hockey League with 40 goals and paced the Everett Silvertips with 82 points in 56 games.

“Obviously, if you just look at the stats that he put up, he put up some real good numbers playing on a good team,” [Kris] Draper also said via Zoom. “The thing with Carter is that he can score in different ways. He can score from the perimeter, the way he shoots the puck. He can score off the rush and off the cycle. He gets around the net, so that’s obviously a skill in itself – not being a one-dimensional pure shooter or a guy that just scores goals one way. He can score in a lot of different ways, which is a great attribute for Carter to have.”

Although an Achilles injury sustained in March prematurely ended Bear’s season, Yzerman said that wasn’t something Detroit was overly concerned about moving forward.

“We were aware of that,” Yzerman said. “We checked it out. We talked to him. He’s been examined fully, and we expect it to heal.”

Continued; Bear seems to be a high-character, high-motor forward who’s grounded thanks to his family and his First Nations community. The Wings got a good egg.

Red Wings draft Grayden Robertson-Palmer 204th, trade 211th pick to Calgary to wrap up their 2025 NHL Draft haul

The Detroit Red Wings drafted USHL forward Grayden Robertson-Palmer with the 204th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft…

Continue reading Red Wings draft Grayden Robertson-Palmer 204th, trade 211th pick to Calgary to wrap up their 2025 NHL Draft haul

Eddie Genborg wants to bring toughness to the mix

The Free Press’s Helene St. James posted an article discussing Red Wings forward and 2025 NHL Draft pick Eddie Genborg’s media availability:

“I’m a very physical player,” Genborg said. “Pretty good skater and love to compete on the ice. I would say maybe around two years ago I just find out that I have a pretty big body and if I’m being good at being physical, it can take me very long. So I started from there.”

Genborg was in Stockholm, nine time zones from Saturday’s event in Los Angeles, and six hours ahead of Detroit, where general manager Steve Yzerman and his staff hunkered down to take advantage of the decentralized format.

“I’m at a hotel with my family and my agent,” Genborg said. “We were sitting in a room here and I heard my name called up. I’m very thankful to get drafted by Detroit. They have drafted a lot of Swedish guys and they’re an Original Six team, so I’m very excited.”

Genborg said he knows Wings prospect Axel Sandin Pellikka (No. 17 overall in 2023) from playing against him in Sweden. Pellikka has made the transition to North America, while Genborg is just getting acclimated to playing in the top-ranked Swedish Hockey League, with Timrå (aka Henrik Zetterberg’s old team).

Continued

Red Wings draft Will Murphy 172nd overall

The Detroit Red Wings selected Will Murphy with the 172nd overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft:

Murphy’s still only 17, but he’s 6’4″ and 205 pounds, and he played for the Cape Breton Eagles of the QMJHL this past season. Per EliteProspects:

Will Murphy can ram through opponents. At 6-foot-4, the defenceman has the range and strength needed to work the boards and protect higher-danger areas. He uses his stick to deny space, push opponents wide, and then finishes by immobilizing them. He knows his role inside a team and isn’t afraid to use his stature to intimidate. -EliteProspects 2025 NHL Draft Guide

Continue reading Red Wings draft Will Murphy 172nd overall

Red Wings draft Nikita Tyurin 140th overall

The Detroit Red Wings drafted defenseman Nikita Tyurin with the 140th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

The 6,’ 174-pound defenseman played for Spartak of the MHL (the Russian junior league) this past season.

Per his EliteProspects profile:

Tyurin is an effective, puck-moving defender. A smooth handler and mover, he can escape forecheckers, keep the puck away from them, and find passing targets as his team regroups around him. He lets his options come to him, slowing the play, and then connects with teammates as they get open. Defending off the rush, he closes his gap on opponents near the red line, removing passing plays, and stepping up on opponents as opportunities arise. -EliteProspects 2025 NHL Draft Guide

Continue reading Red Wings draft Nikita Tyurin 140th overall