Gibson went 14-31-8 with a 3.99 GAA and .899 SV% in 53 games (52 starts) last year. It was the third time in four years that Gibson led the NHL in losses but the first time he allowed over 200 goals in a season. The Ducks should be a little better in front of him this season, but he remains a low-end fantasy option on most nights. Tonight he faces the Golden Knights, who he was 1-2-0 with a 4.75 GAA and .880 SV% last year.
Gibson went 14-31-8 with a 3.99 GAA and .899 SV% in 53 games (52 starts) last year. It was the third time in four years that Gibson led the NHL in losses but the first time he allowed over 200 goals in a season. The Ducks should be a little better in front of him this season, but he remains a low-end fantasy option on most nights. Tonight he faces the Golden Knights, who he was 1-2-0 with a 4.75 GAA and .880 SV% against last year.
Husso is the confirmed starter on Saturday and will look to improve on his season-opening performance, in which he allowed three goals on 26 shots in a 4-3 loss to the high-flying New Jersey Devils. The competition won't get much easier for Husso as he and the Red Wings will face off against last year's eighth-best offence (3.41 goals/GM). In his four games against the Lightning last season (2-2-0), Husso played adequately, recording a 3.02 GAA and .909 SV%.
Fabbri is not expected to be out long-term but will be unavailable on Saturday after suffering an undisclosed injury in the Red Wings' first game of the season. In 14:44 time-on-ice, Fabbri scored a powerplay goal and recorded two shots on goal. Fabbri suited up on the second line alongside JT Compher and Lucas Raymond and could be replaced by Michael Rasmussen in his absence.
Husso is entering his fourth NHL season after posting a 26-22-7 record, .896 SV%, and 3.11 GAA with Detroit in 2022-23 and will be the Red Wings' opening night starter vs. New Jersey. The 28-year-old is entering his second season in Detroit after signing a three-year, $14.5 million deal in the 2021-22 offseason. He draws the tough first task of New Jersey, who finished 2022-23 fifth in both goals for (289) and shots per game (34.4).
Johnston was placed on waivers by the Islanders on Monday and claimed by Anaheim on Tuesday. The 29-year-old bruising left-winger carries an annual cap hit of $1.1 million and is expected to be an intimidating presence in the Ducks bottom-six. He had two assists, 37 PIMs, two SOG, and a -1 plus/minus in 16 games played with the Islanders in 2022-23. He leaves New York after seven seasons, nine goals, 15 assists, and 283 PIMs through 134 career games played.
Stalock signed a one-year, $800,000 contract with the Ducks in the offseason to provide the team with goaltending depth but has been assigned to San Diego (AHL) to start the 2023-24 season. The 36-year-old netminder was one of the best comeback stories of 2022-23 as he posted a 9-15-2 record, .908 SV%, and 3.01 GAA with the Blackhawks. If he returns to the NHL it will mark his 12th season at the highest level.
Killorn will have to wait a little longer to make his Anaheim Ducks debut as he is expected to miss at least a month on the injured reserve with a fractured finger. The 11-year veteran is coming off a career-best 64-point campaign (27G / 37A) with the Tampa Bay Lightning and was signed by the Ducks to add some much-needed goal-scoring to the league's 31st-ranked offence (2.51 GPG). Until he makes his full recovery, expect Frank Vatrano to have an elevated role to start the season.
Zellweger will have to wait to make his NHL debut as he will begin the 2023-24 campaign with the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. He spent last season in the WHL, splitting time between the Everett Silvertips and Kamloops Blazers, where he scored a combined 70 points (32G / 48A) across 55 games.
Harkins had three goals, two assists, 18 SOG, 12 PIMs and a +4 plus/minus through 22 games with Winnipeg in 2022-23 but has been claimed off waivers Monday by Winnipeg after being placed on them by Pittsburgh. The 26-year-old centre played four NHL seasons in Winnipeg, scoring 13 goals and picking up 27 points across 154 NHL games played. He spent the majority of 2022-23 with Manitoba's AHL team picking up 25 goals and 50 points in 44 games but will hope to crack the Penguins' main unit to start the season.
Zebras had 23 goals, 42 assists, 88 PIMs, 184 SOG, and a -24 plus/minus through 81 games played in 2022-23 and has signed a three-year, $17.25 million contract extension worth $5,750,000 AAV. The 22-year-old was Anaheim's 2019 first-round pick (9th overall) and has 49 goals and 139 points in 180 games played across three seasons in California.
Killorn signed a four-year, $25 million contract with the Ducks in the offseason and was expected to be a pivotal part of their top six this season but will now miss the next 4-6 weeks as he deals with a fractured finger from Wednesday's preseason bout. The 34-year-old left-winger is coming off a career season with 27 goals, 37 assists, 45 PIMs, and 143 SOG in an 82-game campaign with Tampa Bay in 2022-23.
The Anaheim Ducks announced Thursday that Mason McTavish will miss the start of training camp as he is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The 20-year-old Sophomore Centre is coming off a 17-goal, 26-assist, 161 SOG, 44 PIMs, and -19 plus/minus rookie season in 2022-23. He is expected to be back with the team soon and a major part of the Ducks' lineup in 2023-24.
Luneau was Anaheim's 2022 second-round pick (53rd overall) and has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Ducks. The 19-year-old defensemen finished 2022-23 with 20 goals, 83 points (most by a Defensemen in QMJHL), 31 PIMs, and a +49 plus/minus with Gatineau (QMJHL) and are expected to return to the club for a fourth season in 2023-24. He was the recipient of the Raymond Lagace Trophy in 2022-23 for the QMJHL's Defensemen of the Year.
Stalock's career resurgence was one of the NHL's best story-lines in 2022-23 as he put up a 9-15-2 record, 3.01 GAA and .908 SV% with Chicago and has signed a one-year contract worth $800,000 with Anaheim. The 36-year-old net-minder is joining his fourth NHL team in the Ducks and has a 70-65-20 record with a .908 SV% and a 2.70 GAA in 179 career games played.
For the second-straight season Terry led the Anaheim Ducks in goals with 23 goals, 38 assists, 188 SOG, 22 PIMs and a -8 plus/minus through 70 games in 2022-23 and has signed a seven-year, $49 million contract extension ($7,000,000 AAV). The 25-year-old right-winger was a steal after being drafted in the fifth-round of the 2015 NHL Draft (148th overall) and has scored 75 goals and 176 points in 274 career NHL games played.
Lundstrom had four goals, 10 assists, 60 SOG, two PIMs and a -13 plus/minus through 61 games in 2022-23 and will now be forced to miss the next six months as he recovers from surgery for an Achilles injury sustained in Sweden. The 23-year-old centre is now expected to return around the turn of the new year and will be hoping to take a step forward after a down season in 2022-23. He currently has 26 goals and 58 points in 212 career NHL games.
Warren had three goals, 17 assists, 35 PIMs and a +21 plus/minus through 47 games with Gatineau (QMJHL) in 2022-23 and has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Anaheim Ducks. The 19-year-old defenseman was Anaheim's 2022 second-round pick (42nd overall) and is expected to suit up for Victoriaville (QMJHL) in 2023-24.
Biakabutuka had 17 goals, 25 assist, 53 PIMs and a -8 plus/minus through 56 games played with Charlottetown (QMJHL) in 2022-23 and has signed a three-year, entry-level contract after going undrafted in junior. The 21-year-old defenseman appeared in three AHL games with Grand Rapids after his QMJHL season was cut short, and failed to pick up a point but had two PIMs across his short professional showing.
Dostal was 4-10-3 with a .901 SV% and 3.78 GAA across 17 starts in 2022-23 with Anaheim and has signed a two-year, contract extension worth $1.625 million ($812,500 AAV). The 23-year-old netminder is one of the NHL's best goaltending prospects and has a 5-12-3 record across 23 games in his career and has a 3.65 GAA and .902 SV%.
