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Follow Michael Whitaker On X The Detroit Red Wings looked poised to end their lengthy playoff drought after putting together a strong first three-quarters of the 2025-26 season, but their campaign unraveled down the stretch, resulting in a 10th consecutive year without a Stanley Cup Playoff berth.
During their postseason push, much of Detroit's success was fueled by goaltender John Gibson.
Acquired from the Anaheim Ducks in an offseason trade, Gibson delivered a Vezina Trophy-caliber debut season with the Red Wings, covering up several underlying flaws that ultimately caught up to the team when it mattered most.
Between December and mid-January, Gibson posted an All-Star level 16-2 record, which included eight straight victories.
In fact, thanks to Gibson, the Red Wings were tied for first overall in the Atlantic Division standings in January before things began to unravel.
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Right now, the Red Wings continue to grapple with the ongoing drama surrounding Dylan Larkin's highly publicized trade request, and the fate of UFA forward Patrick Kane, who remains unsigned, is yet to be decided.
However, Detroit's already slim chances at ending their playoff drought for next season will largely hinge on whether Gibson can repeat his stellar performance that followed what was an initially slower start to his first campaign in Detroit.
While Gibson largely struggled in his first two months of the season, the switch was flipped in December, and he remained one of the NHL's better goaltenders from that point on.
Goaltender Michal Postava Determined To Crack Red Wings Lineup Next Season Goaltender Michal Postava is coming off a successful first season in North America with the Grand Rapids Griffins, and he'd love nothing more than to take the next step in 2026-27 with the Detroit Red Wings.
"I thought it was good," Gibson said following the season of his adjustment to Detroit from Anaheim.
"Obviously, it was a slow start for me personally, but after that, I got back to my game and did what I do." "I mean, I try and keep it simple and stop the puck and give the team a chance to win," he continued.
"I felt like I was able to do that in the second half of the year." Gibson is under contract for one more season with a $6.4 million cap hit.
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