After a long summer, we are just about a month away from the Anaheim Ducks kicking off the 25th anniversary season. With that in mind, we are celebrating in a proper fashion here at Pucks of a Feather. This is the Ducks All-Decade team of the 2010’s.
We are concluding our three-part series looking at all-decade teams for the Anaheim Ducks. You can read about the 1990’s team and the 2000’s team here. The Ducks have made the playoffs every year of this decade except for one. Have advanced to the West Finals twice and provided fans with multiple great memories.
You could also call this decade one of missed opportunity. The Ducks have been close but haven’t been able to break through. With 2 years still left in the decade, the pieces are there for them to, they just need to execute. So with that here are the picks for the Anaheim Ducks all-decade team 2010’s.
Goalie- John Gibson
This was the only decade of Ducks hockey where the goalie position is up for debate. The 90’s with Guy Hebert there is no discussion, and the 00’s with J.S. Giguere there is no contest. The Ducks have had three big goalies in the 2010’s and a case could be made for any of the three.
I went with the numbers and the eye-test. Actually watching the game and not having my head buried in the stats. So if you want to say Jonas Hiller or Frederik Andersen should be this pick you may have a case but for me its John Gibson hands down.
John Gibson has been a part of the Ducks since the 2013-14 season but was finally handed the starting reigns two years ago. Gibson has been nothing short of stellar since coming to Anaheim. Even more so as he’s been given the number one job. Through his 178 games, he is 93-55-16. Both the games played and the wins rank him fourth all-time among Ducks starters. Gibby also has a career 2.29 GAA and a .923 Sv%. Both of those are tops among Ducks starters all-time. Not bad a for a 25-year-old netminder who seems to only get better and better.
Gibson brought the Ducks to the West Final in his first year and with the team severely depleted for the first half of his second year, he kept them afloat and to the playoffs. Without him, in either year the Ducks wouldn’t have reached the post-season. It seems the Ducks knew that too.
They gave the Pittsburgh native an eight-year contract extension this summer ensuring he’s the Ducks netminder for the next decade. He could win them a Stanley Cup in this decade and the next.