Red Wings' John Gibson Faces Uncomfortable Reality as Rookie Gets the Call

The Detroit Red Wings are just about to take the ice to face one of the NHL’s most dangerous offensive teams, with one caveat. The Red Wings are turning to a rookie to take the starting role in the net.

Their veteran goaltender, John Gibson, will be watching from the bench as Michal Postava gets the start.

Head coach Todd McLellan confirmed that it would be Postava in the net to face the Edmonton Oilers. It will be Postava’s first NHL start in his career.

Posty!

While this has to be exciting and a significant milestone for Postava, it is also bringing some attention to Gibson and his struggles early in the 2026-27 season.

The Red Wings have taken several hits to the goaltending position already this year and we are only 11 games into the year. Gibson has failed to provide consistent play while Daniil Tarasov is out with an injury.

That leaves a lot of questions around the net. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are waiting in Edmonton, but coach McLellan has decided to give the start to Postava, which likely says a lot about the player.

What it doesn’t say is that Gibson has lost his starting job. In fact, it doesn’t even come close to implying that. It does raise a few questions though.

It is early in the season but the numbers still matter. Gibson has appeared in eight games this season where he has posted a 3-4-1 record with a 3.44 goals-against average and an .867 save percentage.

This is not where the Red Wings hoped he would be as their primary goaltender.

The struggles become even more apparent when you review history. Over his NHL career, he has maintained a .909 save percentage. During the 2025-26 season that number dropped a bit to .901 after appearing in 57 games.

Again, it is early in the season and anything can happen but, the decline is worth noting. Detroit is going to need him to perform much closer to his career average if the team is to have any hope of being in the postseason.

Then adding to the statistical problem, Gibson had to leave the game against the Vancouver Canucks after the second period due to an eye issue. That’s when Postava got to make his NHL debut.

While Gibson bounced right back and started on Saturday against Calgary, he had to record another loss after the Flames scored three times in the second period.

It is important to note that not every goal scored can be blamed on Gibson. This team has a variety of issues causing them to give up goals. But, a starting goaltender needs to be able to compensate when the team fails on defense. Gibson has not consistently done that so far this year.

Postava has an impressive opportunity ahead of him when he skates out and takes the ice for his first NHL start. He had some head-turning stats during his time with the Grand Rapids Griffins to start this season. He got four consecutive wins, a 1.25 goals-against average, and a .954 save percentage.

That play earned him the call-up and likely the opportunity to start. Tarasov is still sidelined with an undisclosed injury thus, giving Postava the spot.

Now, with all of that pointed out, there are a lot of factors that go into deciding who is going to start. The team is on a four-game road trip right now and Gibson started in Calgary. He may just need to rest; it is just both interesting and unfortunate that the rest day comes against one of the best offensive teams in the league.

Edmonton enters the game with an 8-2-1 record and leads the NHL with an average of 4.36 goals per game. The rookie is going to have his hands full.

There is not a single indication that the goaltending situation is changing in Detroit. Gibson is the team’s established veteran, and one start for the rookie can’t be made into a bigger deal than it is.

Although, it is worth pointing out. The Red Wings have reason to evaluate their young option.

Tarasov is a solid, proven option when healthy. Postava has proven himself in the AHL and is now getting the opportunity to shine in the NHL, even if it is against a monster of a team.

Meanwhile, in the background, Gibson just needs to find his groove and some consistency that has been missing so far this year.