Red Wings’ John Gibson has thrust himself into the Vezina Trophy conversation
TORONTO – John Gibson’s name was in trade rumors for what felt like an eternity.
Drafted 39th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in 2011, Gibson quickly established himself as one of the best young goaltenders in the game. His annual workload was near the top of the league for so long, and the results were impressive.
That all changed in 2019-20, the first year he didn’t have a save percentage above .905. That streak continued for years, with the Ducks focusing more on the future and leaving Gibson out to dry. His days of all-star caliber goaltending looked like a thing of the past. Gibson was great in the second half of the 2024-25 season, but only played 29 games due to injury.
And then, finally, it happened. The Ducks traded Gibson to Detroit as part of the 2025 NHL Draft weekend, moving on from one of the greatest to ever don the beak in Southern California.
The 32-year-old started the season with a 5-7-1 record. It was truly ugly. But after registering a pair of shutouts in a week’s span in early December, it seemed to really change everything. With a victory on Wednesday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Gibson has improved to 16-2-0 in 18 games since Dec. 1, 2025. He’s now riding a seven-game winning streak, making him the hottest goalie in the league. Toronto kept him extremely busy – especially early. If it wasn’t for Gibson’s play, the Leafs would have walked away with that one, at least in the first half.
That’s the type of high-end goaltending the Red Wings are accustomed to right now.
🗣️ GIBBAYYYY John Gibson's 39-save shutout is last night's @xfinity game-changing moment!
The Red Wings are currently challenging for the top spot in the Eastern Conference – a truly unthinkable achievement even two months ago. But the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native has had a truly special run. Gibson’s 13.47 goals saved above expected at 5-on-5 since Dec. 1 is good for second behind New York Islanders keeper Ilya Sorokin, with his 10.75 goals saved above average putting Gibson ahead.
The numbers don’t lie: Gibson is putting up a Vezina-caliber season, at least as of late. If it wasn’t for a faulty start, Gibson absolutely would be one of the frontrunners for it. There’s still another 30 games to go, but Gibson is thriving in a way we haven’t seen in quite some time.
“I don’t want to hype him up too much, but I think he’s Vezina (worthy),” Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson said. “He’s been unreal. You look at the saves he’s making, what a goalie that is. I have all the confidence in him that he’s going to perform when we need him… hopefully he doesn’t read this because I don’t want to have this against me, but, wow, what a goalie.”
What’s different? Confidence, maybe. He also does a better job of keeping his glove up higher, taking away more up-top shots from the league’s most dangerous shooters. He plays with a stiffer glove, which can make it much harder to close. Yet, pop-outs don’t seem to be an issue with him, thanks to strong positioning. Gibson also seems to play a bit deeper in the crease, which prevents more wild goose chases. For a 6-foot-3 goaltender, he can cover a lot of the net that way.
The Red Wings entered the season with high hopes and a bright future. The Ducks are on an upward trajectory, too, but they’re still figuring things out. The Red Wings, meanwhile, are chasing the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
A new environment has clearly been beneficial for Gibson. Gibson’s ability to get hot – and stay hot – has allowed him to be so successful. Many scouts considered him to be among the league’s elite for so long because of how calm and composed he is. He rarely is seen chasing after pucks, giving up bad rebounds, or missing fluky chances. Gibson has always been positionally sound, and he just needed the right support system to prove it. The move to Detroit really helped in that regard – having Moritz Seider as a defender doesn’t hurt.
“He’s in full control,” one scout said Wednesday night. “He’s dominant.”
The formula isn’t anything groundbreaking, but it’s simple: when Gibson tends the crease, Detroit has a chance to win. This year just feels different – nothing can stop them. This is exactly the environment Gibson wants to be a big part of. He’s a humble guy who doesn’t like to talk about his own game too much. But you can tell he’s feeling good right now, and ready to chase a playoff spot.
Gibson hasn’t played in a postseason game since 2018. But in 2017, Gibson was one of the top goaltenders, nearly leading the Ducks to a Stanley Cup final appearance. The Ducks ultimately fell flat, but Gibson proved he could thrive in the spotlight – something he did routinely do internationally as a junior-aged goaltender, and again in his limited action at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Goalies don’t need any motivation to perform – but Gibson has plenty of reasons right now.
“That’s why I came here, I want to help them get in the playoffs,” Gibson said. “If you ask anyone around, they’d be more than happy to be in this spot. So I’m not going to take that for granted.”
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