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John Gibson Isn’t Needed In Toronto

The Hockey Writers

Anaheim goaltender John Gibson has supposedly made it clear to the Ducks organization that he’s open to a trade. As usual, Toronto fans have gone into a frenzy, assuming he’s going to be a Leaf. I’m here to set the record straight… the Leafs don’t really need him.

It’s completely fair to brainstorm ideas on how to make the Toronto roster better. A team can only have so many playoff disappointments before major changes need to be done. Fans are appearing to see Gibson being the next Leafs starter as that major change.

It’s hard to look back on the Tampa series and blame Jack Campbell though. One could argue he played a bit better than Andrei Vasilevskiy, if not he was just as good in net. The year before against Montreal, while the team didn’t play great, Jack had a pretty good series. Keeping pace with Carey Price.

John Gibson also isn’t a huge improvement over Campbell, if any. Injuries aren’t a huge concern with Gibson like they are with Campbell. The overall play of Campbell is just better. In 77 games with Toronto Jack has had a .916 save percentage. While the last three seasons from Josh Gibson have been .904, .903, and .903. 

The contracts may put Gibson slightly ahead of Campbell. John Gibson has a cap hit of 6.4 million until 2027 when he’ll be 33. Campbell is a free agent this offseason, but I think his contract will be in the same ballpark as Gibson. There is a chance he gets more, but I really don’t see it. I think his cap hit is going to come in under 6 million.

However the most important thing is the Leafs need Jack Campbell in the room. He’s the kind of player that is going to drive a positive attitude in the locker room. From what everyone sees he’s a vital part of the Leafs team. Losing Campbell would mean a lot more than just needing to find a new goalie. It would leave a gaping hole in the team’s personality.  

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