Ducks’ John Gibson in net tonight after Frederik Andersen shutout

The Ducks will field a youth-heavy team Tuesday night in their second exhibition game, a home date against the Arizona Coyotes.

Among the youngsters will be goalie John Gibson, the 21-year-old top NHL prospect who won two regular-season games to clinch the Western Conference top seed, then replaced injured Frederik Andersen in the postseason to beat the Kings twice before losing games 6 and 7.

“There’s jobs to be had on this team,” Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau said after the team’s morning skate at Honda Center Tuesday. “The young kids who play, it’s a competition. Gibson’s playing. I’m sure he saw what Freddie did yesterday.”

Andersen shut out a split-squad Colorado roster, 4-0, Monday with 27 saves, impressing the coach with his calm and movement.

Gibson, a tremendous athlete who last year was deemed hockey’s No. 2 prospect by The Hockey News, originally impressed Boudreau last year by getting beat up by the Kings in the exhibition season, and imploring the coach to put him right back in the net the next game.

So how has he responded to getting pulled in the 6-2 Game 7 blowout?

“Knowing him, he’s very competitive and wants to put his best foot forward,” Boudreau said. “I didn’t even talk to him about [Game 7], let it go, out of sight, out of mind. But I think it has to have made him stronger. He’s now dealt with that situation. I’m sure he’s going to dig deep.

“Like when we brought him up [last April] for that first game at Vancouver, he got a shutout. First game in playoffs, he gets a shutout. He knows mentally how to take care of the game.”

Tonight will also feature young centers Rickard Rakell and William Karlsson, who are battling for the No. 4 center spot. Rakell would seem to be the favorite after playing in Anaheim last year, but there are questions about his faceoff skill and ability to play on a checking line.

Rakell scored a goal in the Anaheim game. Karlsson had an assist and was plus-two in goal differential in the Ducks’ 5-2 win in Colorado.

“Two young Swedes … Rakell has put on a lot of strength. William, if you watch him play, and if you watch [Washington’s] Nicklas Backstom play, they skate the same, same mannerisms. If he can become that player, it’d be very special,” Boudreau said. “It’s an interesting battle.”

Boudreau said a smaller scorer, like Nick Bonino last year, is capable of anchoring a checking line.

Rakell said he doesn’t believe he has the job wrapped up.

“It’s going to be tough,” he said, expecting to play with Louis Leblanc and the Ducks’ top draft pick, Nick Ritchie, tonight. “If I’m good on faceoffs, kill penalties, be good two-way, that’s going to help. I can play whatever. I just want to play.”