Star Goalie John Gibson Reportedly Waiving No-Trade Clause to Join Edmonton Oilers
According to NHL insider Pierre LeBrun, Anaheim Ducks goaltender Johnny Gibson would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to join the Oilers, but Edmonton may not make the deal.
»Gibson has a modified no-trade clause, but my understanding is he would consider the Oilers, who came one win short of the Cup last season.»
- Pierre LeBrun, The Athletic
- Pierre LeBrun, The Athletic
It's welcomed news for the Oilers that Gibson and many other star players are interested in coming to Edmonton right now, but LeBrun believes Stuart Skinner will continue to be the starter moving forward.
»That type of trade would have a lot of moving parts and affect their cap closer to March 7, I suspect the blue line will require an addition.»
- Pierre LeBrun, The Athletic
- Pierre LeBrun, The Athletic
While it's disappointing to hear LeBrun insist that the Oilers are more interested in trading for a defenceman, it still shouldn't rule out a change coming in the crease.
One of the major benefits to committing to Skinner as a starting goalie is his low salary of $2.6M, which makes it easier to afford other star players in the roster.
Trading for John Gibson and his $6.4M contract for the next three seasons would require a major change in the Oilers salary cap situation, which is already going to be tight in the next few seasons.
The Oilers should still look to invest more into the crease, but they need to be sure they're getting saves for a good value. Gibson's $6.4M comes as a huge risk considering he's been a below average goalie for the last two years. Gibson would need to come to Edmonton at 75% retained salary in a three-team deal.
If the Oilers want to target a short-term addition in the crease to serve as a tandem goalie, Mackenzie Blackwood of the San Jose Sharks is on an affordable contract, having a great season, and is likely available for trade.
Oilers coach Knoblauch called out Stuart Skinner after last night's game, that dropped Skinner's save percentage to a terrible .876 - only three points higher than Jack Campbell last year.
It's still too soon to give up on Skinner entirely. In the last two seasons, the Edmonton-born kid has been a league average goaltender, which is good enough to allow the Oilers elite roster to dominate games.
Hopefully Skinner can get back to that level of play soon, but if not, the Oilers will be forced to trade for a goaltender. They simply can't move forward as a cup contending team with the worst goaltending in the NHL.
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