John Gibson is expected to be out approximately 3-6 weeks for the Anaheim Ducks after undergoing emergency appendectomy surgery on Wednesday night.
The 31-year-old goalie was 13-27-2 in 46 games (44 starts) last season with a 3.54 goals-against average and .888 save percentage.
Gibson had not played in Anaheim's preseason opener on Tuesday. Lukas Dostal started Thursday night's 3-2 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks and made 12 saves on 13 shots. Calle Clang, a third-round pick (No. 77) by Pittsburgh who was traded to Anaheim on March 21, 2022 and has yet to play in a regular-season NHL game, started Tuesday's 4-3 loss to San Jose and followed Dostal in Thursday's game.
Dostal, a third-round pick (No. 85) by Anaheim in the 2018 NHL Draft, was 14-23-3 with a 3.33 GAA and .902 save percentage and one shutout in 44 games (38 starts) for Anaheim last season.
"I think the impact will be on (Lukas) Dostal's workload and then who's going to back him up," said Anaheim coach Greg Cronin of the loss of Gibson. "I think the goaltending staff will get together and organize that."
Over 11 seasons with the Ducks, Gibson is 193-206-61 in 477 games (466 starts) with a 2.90 GAA, .910 save percentage and 24 shutouts. He is 11-13 in 26 Stanley Cup Playoff games with a 2.80 GAA, .913 save percentage and one shutout.
The No. 39 pick in the 2011 NHL Draft, Gibson has started at least 50 games in five of the last six full 82-game NHL seasons and is the franchise's career leader in saves (13,294) and games played by a goalie (477).
NHL independent correspondent Dan Arritt conributed to this report
