![]() ![]() Trying to trade him almost certainly means bringing a third team into the mix to help spread around his girthy cap hit. Karlsson has four more years left with an $11.5 million cap hit. Having Karlsson there to help lead their attack would be a great idea, especially when he's playing this well. First off, look how good he is! San Jose is looking to get back to respectability sooner than later, and they've still got Tomas Hertl and Logan Couture playing well and have added 2021 seventh overall pick William Eklund to the mix late this season to show the future has hope. Karlsson is not an easy player to trade for a few reasons. He leads all defensemen in scoring this season and has been brilliant all-around. Karlsson, 32, tapped into the fountain of youth this season and has piled up goals and assists the way he did during his elite seasons with the Senators. Talk swirled about the Edmonton Oilers and even Ottawa Senators having interest in acquiring the Norris Trophy favorite, and for good reason. There was no hotter name at the trade deadline this year than that of San Jose defenseman Erik Karlsson. Gibson's cap hit and injury history make moving him tricky, but a savvy team should kick the tires and see what it might take. It's dire and a team in need of addressing goaltending in a big way (Buffalo? Montréal? Columbus?) can offer up young offensively capable players in return for him. Trevor Zegras has 21 goals and Troy Terry and Adam Henrique are tied for second on the team with 19 goals each. They've scored 175 goals this season, third-fewest in the league. It's not an easy contract to move, but if you're the Ducks, you want to get goal scoring in return. Gibson has four years left on his contract at a juicy $6.4 million cap hit. Sure, you could trade Dostal because he's younger and has the potential that teams get excited about, but Gibson has a solid track record as well as a strong reputation. Anthony Stolarz has backed up Gibson the past couple of seasons, and youngster Lukas Dostal has shown some potential in limited action this season. The Ducks need help all over the ice at forward and on defense, and oddly enough they have depth in goal. It would seem like that's goalie John Gibson's fault more than anything else, but Gibson's had to stand on his head to even make it look this good. They don't score a lot of goals and they've allowed a lot of them. The Anaheim Ducks have had a miserable season. ![]() And that's why we're going to make deals that could improve life down the road for some of the NHL's worst teams. But when you're down bad and the future looks bleak, change can make it feel better. But what's the harm in making deals when your team spent the season in the basement? Things can't get worse, right? Trades are fun and exciting for us, and for general managers they're the best and most terrifying thing they can do. But the most effective, and most nerve-wracking, way to improve a team is by making trades. To improve a team with a lot of holes, you can hope some of your prospects are ready to make the leap or you seek help in free agency. But only one team will get to do that, and everyone else will have to find other ways to get better. The exciting part of being a team at or near the bottom of the NHL standings this season is the hope you'll be able to win the draft lottery and select Connor Bedard No. Could trading goalie John Gibson help the Ducks in the long run? Eliot J. ![]()
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