John Gibson Reportedly Willing To Waive No-Trade Clause For One Canadian Contender

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Tom Banks
November 22, 2024 (4:29 PM)

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John Gibson has been on his way out of Anaheim for years, and now we know that it's the Edmonton Oilers that may finally land the Ducks star.

It's no secret that the Edmonton Oilers have hopes of a Stanley Cup run in 2024/25, but thus far, their goaltending looks anything like that of a genuine contender.

While the team certainly need to look into upgrading their blue line and a potential upgrade in their top-nine, the combination of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard just isn't working, with the duo combining for an .882 save percentage on the year.

However, the answer may have now fallen into their laps, as TSN's Pierre LeBrun has recently revealed that Anaheim's John Gibson is open to waiving his no-trade clause for the Oilers, a move he has refused to make over the past few years.

»Gibson has a modified no-trade clause, but my understanding is he would consider the Oilers, who came one win short of the Cup last season.»

With a modified trade clause, Gibson has been a potential target for many teams in recent years, but now, with $6.4 million left on a deal that continues for another three years, the possibility is becoming more and more real.

Unfortunately for Edmonton, that salary cap hit could be a nightmare for the team, especially with the impending free agent contracts of both Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard looming.

Trading for John Gibson and his $6.4M contract for the next three seasons would require a major change in the Oilers salary cap situation, which is already going to be tight in the next few seasons. Gibson would need to come to Edmonton at 75% retained salary in a three-team deal.

-Liam McCormick, Oilers Daily

Obviously, that's much easier said than done, so while Gibson, with a .906 save percentage in three games this season represents a major upgrade for Edmonton, there will be plenty of moving parts to get a deal done, with a potential trade not likely to come until later in the year.