Speaking after Carlton's first official pre-season training session at Visy Park on Monday, Malthouse said it was time Gibbs took his football to a new level.
"I'd like to think he's going to be playing in the middle," Malthouse said.
The new Carlton coach said he would use Gibbs between half-back, half-forward and the midfield.
"He certainly has to come up that next level," Malthouse said.
Gibbs has long been a source of frustration for Blues fans having been used predominantly across half-back during Brett Ratten's term as Carlton coach.
Flagging plans of making Carlton's current midfield crop adapt to playing across a number of positions, Malthouse said using Gibbs in the midfield was as much about helping his teammates as it was getting the best out of the prodigiously talented South Australian.
"Let's break it down to twenty minute quarters, don't worry about the time on," Malthouse explained.
"He has got to be able to do eight to ten minutes (in the midfield), and that's quite significant.
"That takes half a quarter away from others to give them a little bit of relief and also to be able to play in other positions, which I'm pretty keen to do."
Malthouse has long been a fan of the 23-year-old, 2006 No.1 AFL Draft pick.
He coached Gibbs during the 2010 International Rules series in Ireland when Malthouse led the Australian side.
The veteran coach said that experience left him in no doubt what Gibbs was capable of at AFL level.
"He's a young man growing up. I did coach him over in Ireland and he was simply outstanding over there. Simply outstanding, let me say. There wasn't any good, he was outstanding.
"I know his capabilities. It just may well be he's got to be thrown the ball and say 'now right you've got to run with it, this is your opportunity to say I want a position in the middle of the ground and I've got to learn how to do the defensive things, the offensive things and be that neutral player and drift between'."
