John Gibson Will Turn In A Stellar Rookie Season For Anaheim Ducks
By PowerPlayCJ
@powerplaywithcj
Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA Today Sports
The Anaheim Ducks are one of the trendier picks in the NHL to contend for the Stanley Cup, as their acquisition of veterans Ryan Kesler, Dany Heatley and Clayton Stoner to their already deep team made them a bona fide threat in the Western Conference. While experienced players may make up the bulk of the team, youth will be served as 25-year-old Frederik Andersen and 21-year-old John Gibson will battle it out to be the team’s starting goalie.
While Andersen may have (slightly) more experience at the pro level, look for Gibson to seize the job and turn in a stellar first full season.
Gibson has excelled at every level, including his limited showing in the NHL where he posted shutouts in both his regular season and postseason debuts. Despite ultimately losing Game 7 to the eventual champion Los Angeles Kings, there is no reason to doubt that Gibson is ready to be a legitimate goalie in the NHL.
His pre-NHL track record, from winning gold with Team USA at the 2013 World Junior Championships to dominating the AHL as one of the youngest goalies in the minors, completely speaks for itself.
The combination of Gibson’s talent and the quality team in front of him should translate to many wins for the rookie and the Ducks. Look for Gibson being a finalist for the Calder Trophy in what will be an amazing rookie class. The Calder, however, will not be the only trophy the Pittsburgh native will be chasing this season.
If Gibson plays to the level he’s capable of, the team will be flying high and their Stanley Cup dreams could very well become reality. Youth in net is a big-time question mark, but raw talent like Gibson’s can mask any deficiency brought out by lack of experience.
No player has won the Stanley Cup and Calder Trophy in the same season in 15 years. At that time, Gibson was six years old, learning to master the game of hockey so that he could one day get a shot of doing just that.
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