Jack Campbell signed with the Edmonton Oilers because they offered a secure, five-year deal with some trade protection. What he didn’t get was a no-move clause.
Campbell on Waivers
After two decent years with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Campbell was supposed to the be answer to Edmonton’s biggest problem. His 5 x $5 million contract promised stability for both the team and player. Just over one year later, Edmonton is looking elsewhere.
Edmonton will be putting Jack Campbell on waivers today
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) November 7, 2023
The thinking was that Stuart Skinner would eventually come in as a “good enough” goalie for the Oilers scoring stars. Until then, though, A veteran was needed to guide him. Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen both started that way before Campbell was signed away from Toronto.
It’s not an unheard-of tactic and is one position some teams save money at. Goalies are notoriously hard to predict, with some rising early and others taking years to mature. Then there’s the risk of their decline, with no reliable early warning signs discovered yet beyond “sometimes they get old. *shrug*”
Skinner led the team into the playoffs last season, with Cambell providing support. The cheaper Skinner was supposed to take a step this year, working in tandem with Campbell. While that’s happened – Campbell has started five games to Skinner’s six – it’s not what they hoped for.
This (Numbers) Game Sucks!
Following last night’s beating at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks, Stuart Skinner is 1-4-1 with a 3.99 goals-against and .856 save percentage. Jack Campbell, the theoretical mentor, is at 1-4-0, a 4.50 GAA and .837 SV%. Neither one is good, but Campbell is the one placed on waivers.
While Campbell’s individual numbers are marginally better than Skinner’s, the important one is his paycheque. That $5 million deal has another three years to run after this season, and a 31-year-old goaltender is unlikely to recover enough to earn it. Skinner, for his faults, is six years younger and comes at half the cost. His lack of trade protection provides the team with another option for him as well.
Unfair as it is, the Bakersfield Condors have two goalies with excellent numbers right now. Should Campbell be sent down – as compared to bought out or claimed – one of them will need to go. It’s almost impossible to picture an NHL goaltender falling to ECHL Fort Wayne. It’s harder to picture one coming back from there in their 30s.
What This Means
Speaking of recovering players, the goalie being called up is almost certainly frequent NHLer Calvin Pickard. The 31-year-old had 116 NHL games under his belt, though none this year or last. He isn’t going to be the answer to the Oilers crisis, but he might buy them some time.
The much bigger problem is the team giving up excellent chances to opponents. Their very casual defence is allowing for cross-ice passes and shots from prime scoring positions. The Canucks scored four of their six goals from directly in front of Skinner on Monday. If that doesn’t change – and quickly – then changing the name of the man between the pipes is moot.
Main Photo: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
