Are the Oilers a top 5 contender next season with Jack Campbell?

[SeanMoneyHands]

Does Jack Campbell complete this team and push them to the top 5 for contending next season?

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[jackjohnson]

Does Jack Campbell complete this team and push them to the top 5 for contending next season?

Jack Campbell didnt make leafs a top 5 contending team so I dont know why it would make Oilers a top 5 contending team. And Leafs have much better D and had lots of forward depth to boot. No Jack Campbell has not proven anything. Maybe if Oilers had gotten Vasilevsky, then you could say somethimg like this but Campbell???

 

[ManofSteel55]

Well they were conference finalists with a worse goalie so it's possible. I think they are closer than many realize but there are a few variables, like with nearly any other team.

 

[Chips]

Which Jack Cambell? Because his level of play veered wildly

It’s also a bit hard to say how well the team will do in front of him. I don’t mean I expect any severe change from the tail end of last year, but new coach boost is a thing, and they were probably pissed at how everyone was talking about their awful play prior and super motivated. Even Trotz’s magic trailed off the latter half of multiple seasons with the Isles


They also struggled a bit/were inconsistent against the Kings in the first round before McDavid went god mode at the end. I know injuries to key guys, but the regular season is long and very few players are perfect all 82 relatively (individually) meaningless games even if healthy.

Defensive depth and consistency for a whole 82 aren’t super common, if it will kind of matter where his hot and cold streaks (confidence dips) happen.

 

[Mr Kot]

Yes but also no.

 

[centipede2233]

Top 5 in the conference? sure. Top 5 in the NHL? I have Florida, Tampa, Toronto, Pitt, NYRangers, Colorado, Stlouis, Calgary in front. Nashville, Washington, Vancouver and Minnesota atleast as good. So no.

 

[ManofSteel55]

Top 5 in the conference? sure. Top 5 in the NHL? I have Florida, Tampa, Toronto, Pitt, NYRangers, Colorado, Stlouis, Calgary in front. Nashville, Washington, Vancouver and Minnesota atleast as good. So no.

Ha ha ha ha.

 

[nammerus]

The best part about delusional Oilers fans (outside of them thinking the WCF was a very close series) is them believing that Campbell is an upgrade on Smith/Koskinen. Holland paid double for a goalie that is, at best, a lateral move.

The Maple leafs had the worst goaltending of any playoff team. And Campbell was a huge part of that.

 

[Chips]

Ha ha ha ha.

Edit: I didn’t see what you bolded in his post lol.

Tampa
Colorado
Canes (goalie health. I think Burns in their system will look good.)
Flames(?)
Panthers(?)
Rangers(?)
Blues (healthy Binnington)

Are all better or at least equal.

?’s about teams changes: I feel confident about the Flames;
Panthers new coach? They’ve still got great forward depth and possibly goaltending. Maurice has had teams go fairly deep before. Not sure though, but I think people are really overstating their losses a little early. A juggernaut can afford to lose more pieces than a normal great team.

Rangers? How insane is Shesty? If he’s even 80% of last year I have the Rangers above the Oilers given they also have offensive stars and a better 1D as well as G



Contenders, if they make the playoffs after getting healthy, the Bruins getting some guys back I expect to lean heavy into defense and they’ve still got some potent scorers. It’s one of those where they just have to make it, past circumstance, but they’ve still got great pieces for the right game plan and a decent choice in coach for it I guess. If the Caps can frustrate an offensive strong term, Bergeron and McAvoy and company can. Bruins are typically one of the best defensive teams in the league.

If the Penguins stay healthy and get another great year out of their core can be up there too. They looked pretty good and almost beat the Rangers with an AHL goalie. Crosby still amazing. This one depends on how good the Oilers are. I fully expect they’ll be better than the first half of last season, but we gotta see which Campbell shows up, and how the team plays consistently vs a new coach bump.


Same with the Caps, if their core stays healthy (That’s been an issue three straight years though with literally every core guy getting injured in the final weeks) and if the Oilers are on the lower end of expectations. The caps showed they could frustrate an offensive juggernaut and they could have won with Wilson and NHL goaltending. Surely after two straight years of everybody getting injured in the tail end of the season, we’ll have one more good run with our healthy core, and Kuemper will stay healthy…
The Caps actually played really well without Backstrom last season too.

 

[Mobiandi]

Maybe top 5 in the division

 

[centipede2233]

Ha ha ha ha.

I don’t think it’s reasonable since Vancouver didnt have boudreau for the whole year and improved

 

[Bounces R Way]

If they are anything next season it will be entirely due to McDavid and Draisaitl. Campbell is as average as it gets.

 

[VanillaCoke]

 

[scud9]

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Edmonton will be playoff team but top5 is too much. Then anything could happen in playoffs.

Forward group is one of the best in NHL. If Kane continues like last year, maybe the best, Cambell will be alright.

Problem is the defence. They rely too much on Nurse. They still have Ceci as a 2nd D. And losing Keith will hurt.

 

[agent082]

No.

 

[JianYang]

Gotta upgrade the top end of that defense to move the needle into elite contendership status.

 

[Oil Gauge]

I don't think he improves on last years goaltending very much. I think he just gives them a more predictable goalie. You know he's gonna play 50-65 games. Last year they got good goaltending but you had no idea who was going to be the starter 3 days from now.

 

[Rubi]

Yes, I would say they they are a top 5 contender for the Pacific division title.
Not for the Stanley Cup though.
Under a full season of Jay Woodward their team defence will likely improve although I don't think that about the defensive corp itself. Also I'm not sure the Campbell/Skinner tandem is an improvement over last year's Smith/Koskinen duo.

 

[Face Of Bear]

Jack Campbell isn't a difference maker. Be happy if he gives you What Mike Smith did last year. Oilers are a 10-18 range team.

 

[McJedi]

Does Jack Campbell complete this team and push them to the top 5 for contending next season?

Top five contenders

Avs
Tampa
Carolina
Toronto
Florida
Calgary
Rangers

Nope. Oilers are not top 5.

 

[bobholly39]

Top five contenders

Avs
Tampa
Carolina
Toronto
Florida
Calgary
Rangers

Nope. Oilers are not top 5.

Toronto still hasn't won a single playoff round in ages
Florida looked like crap in round 2 last year, and has had huge roster turnover
Calgary has had huge roster turnover, and have sucked in playoffs for a while (and, lost badly to Oilers)
Ranger's success was largely based on Shesterkin's play last year, which seems unsustainable (great roster though, if they can just learn to win without relying on him so much)

Not saying Edmonton is definitely above all those teams - but all of them have major question marks.

Edmonton - off of McDavid + Drai's insane playoff performances last year - are pretty high up as contenders.

 

[Peasy]

I don't think he improves on last years goaltending very much. I think he just gives them a more predictable goalie. You know he's gonna play 50-65 games. Last year they got good goaltending but you had no idea who was going to be the starter 3 days from now.

Campbell hasn't even started 50 games in a season and yet you think he might start up to 65? Yeah I really doubt that's going to happen... The guy got worse the more he played last year. He does not have the make up to play anywhere near 65 games. This guy isn't a prime Luongo lol.

 

[Frank Drebin]

The best part about delusional Oilers fans (outside of them thinking the WCF was a very close series) is them thinking that Campbell is an upgrade on Smith/Koskinen. Holland paid double for a goalie that is, at best, a lateral move.

View attachment 583167

The Maple leafs had the worst goaltending of any playoff team. And Campbell was a huge part of that.

Kuemper > Saros, confirmed

 

[The90]

I don't think he improves on last years goaltending very much. I think he just gives them a more predictable goalie. You know he's gonna play 50-65 games. Last year they got good goaltending but you had no idea who was going to be the starter 3 days from now.

Predictable and Jack Campbell are 2 words not supposed to be used in the same sentence lol

 

[The90]

Well if they can get every bounce in the world and 3+ points a game from McDrai, they’ll win a few series’ again, anyways