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Don’t be surprised if John Gibson and Cam Fowler are traded this season

 David Miller
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Don’t be surprised if John Gibson and Cam Fowler are traded this season
Credit: Capture d'écran / Screenshot

The Anaheim Ducks’ last playoff appearance came in the spring of 2018, when they were swept in the first round.

I say that because six years later, despite having several good prospects in the bank, the Ducks aren’t close to returning to the playoffs.

At least, not this year.

Unfortunately for the organization, the third overall pick in the last draft, Beckett Sennecke, will be out for several weeks.

In short, Anaheim fans must be getting impatient, as they can’t wait to relive spring dance fever.

On the other hand, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the club sell out again this season.

In the latest episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman mentioned two players who are most likely to change address between now and the trade deadline.

Defenseman Cam Fowler and goaltender John Gibson could definitely interest some teams.

Friedman pointed out that Fowler has a very slim list of potential trade destinations.

According to him, there are only four, but Fowler is open to talking to clubs other than those on his list.

However, Fowler’s contract isn’t easy to deal with, as he still has two seasons left at $6.5 million a year.

Even so, if the Ducks are willing to retain a small portion of his salary, the return could be very interesting.

After all, a versatile 6-foot-2, 215-pound mobile defenseman who can give you some 40 points a season is attractive.

The fact that the 32-year-old defenseman would agree to expand his list of teams for a trade would make things a lot easier for the Ducks.

Fowler should expect to see his playing time reduced this season with young defensemen like Olen Zellweger, Tyson Hinds and Tristan Luneau on the rise.

It’s the same story with John Gibson.

He too will want to play as many games as possible this season, and with the emergence of Lukas Dostal, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the club prioritize the 24-year-old goalkeeper.

After all, he played 44 games last year.

As Marc-Olivier Beaudoin mentions, the Toronto Maple Leafs could be very active in the Gibson file.

However, the Ducks would have to be prepared to withhold part of his salary, which is highly unlikely.

Gibson is signed for three more seasons with an annual salary of $6.4 million.

Holding back a percentage of a salary with three years left isn’t impossible, but it would be very surprising to see the Ducks do it.

Even though they currently have more than $20 million under payroll, in the next two years they’ll have to sign Trevor Zegras, Mason McTavish, Cutter Gauthier and Leo Carlsson.

In short, the two players targeted by Friedman are open to a change of address, because it’s also for their own good.

They could definitely help a few teams, but which ones will be ready to accept a contract worth more than $6 million per season, if no salary is withheld?


Overtime

– The Lions opened the scoring in the first sequence of the game.

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