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

[Peasy]

He was not terrible, no. He was probably about average statistically, while posting a strong winning record.

From January through April, Campbell went 16-4-4. I'm pretty sure that's good.


- I did watch Leaf games after December
- I did not say Campbell will work out
- I did not say anything about any Leaf goalies

The sarcasm of your last sentence might be clever if you had actually responded to anything I actually said (you didn't).

I'm not sure why you keep saying he had average stats during that stretch lol. Its not difficult to see what they are. Here are his stats from December (right after his insane month that drastically inflated his season stats) to the end of the season. Now tell me, are those average stats?

.896sv% and a 3.22gaa. If you consider those league average then good on you.

 

[MessierII]

That’s a pretty average to subpar bottom 9.

Remove the top line (Both McDavid and Leon because they still just end up playing together) and the next 3 lines are not that good compared to other teams

Yeah that’s BS.

Kane was San Jose’s best forward. Hyman played how many years on Matthews line? Nugent Hopkins is not out of place. Foegele was on Carolinas 3rd line for how long? They don’t have depth? Ryan was fine when he was on Calgary now he shouldn’t be in the nhl? Janmark was fine on Vegas but on our 4th line he sucks?

 

[Mr Zappalanche]

It would be such a Oiler thing that after pretty good season they miss PO or get knocked out in first round.

 

[MessierII]

Oilers bottom 6 is also one of the best and deepest in the NHL even though they lost their best bottom 6 forward in Kassian.

McLeod, Foegole, Ryan, Shore, Holloway Benson are unstoppable playoff beasts. You’d be hard pressed to find a better more proven bottom 6 than the Oilers.

We can afford to play Nugent Hopkins and Hyman in our bottom 6 if we wanted. That’s depth. 3 of the guys you mentioned weren’t even in our lineup in the playoffs.

 

[Maria Sharapova]

I think oilers can win the ahl division again. But it’s shocking that people think Campbell is any more consistent than Smith. Campbell had an all-star appearance, returned from the break and looked like an entirely different goalie. Also he has only had one season where he played 49 games and was injured a few times. So this at least he’s durable and consistent narrative is mind boggling. I love Campbell and wouldn’t be shocked if he pieces it together but they are paying for potential at 5x5 more so than anything.

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

And if any of those players outside of Kane played on any other team... They're bottom 6 forwards.

Nuge and Hyman are awful.


But hey keep drinking thay Kool-Aid. It makes it that much sweeter every time the Oilers get embarrassed. Whether it's failing to make playoffs at all or getting swept once they do make playoffs... We'll all enjoy it once again this season just like the last 15 years.

Nuge and Hyman are awful?

Man, I get you don’t like the Oilers. But what a shitty take.

 

[The Panther]

I'm not sure why you keep saying he had average stats during that stretch lol. Its not difficult to see what they are. Here are his stats from December (right after his insane month that drastically inflated his season stats) to the end of the season. Now tell me, are those average stats?

.896sv% and a 3.22gaa. If you consider those league average then good on you.

Yes, they are about League average for that period. Scoring has gone up, dude. Anyway, who cares about a few degrees of save percentage? Wins are what matter. The Leafs, just like the Oilers, are an offensively-tilted club who, despite considerable talent, give up a lot of scoring chances. If a goalie's (long-term) stats are "average" on those clubs, then the goalie is probably slightly above-average in actual ability.

Here's something Leafs' fan may not be aware of since 1967: You don't win the Stanley Cup with save percentage. You win with wins. Campbell is probably the winningest goalie in the NHL (in win percentage) the past two seasons combined. The Leafs won, at a fabulous rate, when he was in net. He was the least of the club's problems.

How about we look at a larger sample than three months of last season? Here's the save percentages of goalies the past two seasons (min. 40 appearances):
1. Shesterkin .928
2. Sorokin .923
3. Saros .921
4. Varlamov .920
5. Vasilevsky .920
6. Swayman .920
7. Smith .919
8. Kuemper .917
9. Ullmark .917
10. Campbell .916
11. Forsberg .916
12. Fleury .915
13. Jarry .915
14. Markstrom .915
15. Demko .915

There are 53 goalies on this list, and Campbell ranks 10th. That's very good, especially since (as noted) Toronto are an offence-heavy team. And that's including this mythical "horrible period" he had last season.

Unfortunately, this list also makes Mike Smith look good on account of his excellent 2021 season. But I think we all know that Mike Smith is awful.

What the Oilers desperately need is a new, functional goalie tandem. I personally am pleased going into the season with Campbell and Skinner. The reigns are there for either one to grab, but I think they're going to need both of them playing consistent, decent hockey, without Mike Smith's tendencies to roam and give up goals while staring down and blaming his teammates.

Like the Leafs, the Oilers simply need League-average goaltending, but from now on without any drama, please.

 

[LeafGrief]

I think Campbell is a really solid pickup for the Oilers and should greatly help stabilize their net. Campbell had consistency struggles in Toronto last year, but that was while battling two separate injuries. If he can stay healthy, I think they'll be very happy.

Team is still McDrai and a bunch of randoms. The depth and defense fluctuate between bad and mediocre, but those two big guns are good enough to win games single(double?) handedly and often do it in the playoffs. Hard to label them as a top contender, a single injury could put them out of the playoffs and the big contenders like Tampa make it to the cup finals while missing a guy like Point or Stamkos every year. But results do matter and McDavid+Drai have proven they can carry a team deep. It's like the inverse Carey Price.

Stable goaltending will give McDrai a bit more leeway, and that's 100% a good thing for the Oilers.

 

[94 Oil Drops]

And if any of those players outside of Kane played on any other team... They're bottom 6 forwards.

Nuge and Hyman are awful.


But hey keep drinking thay Kool-Aid. It makes it that much sweeter every time the Oilers get embarrassed. Whether it's failing to make playoffs at all or getting swept once they do make playoffs... We'll all enjoy it once again this season just like the last 15 years.

Hmmm not really.

If I'm drinking kool-aid I'm scared to ask what you're drinking.

 

[John Mandalorian]

Nuge and Hyman are awful?

Man, I get you don’t like the Oilers. But what a shitty take.

In the Avs series, Hyman and Kane were solid contributors. But RNH was absolutely inconsequential - total non threat. He looked like he was devoured by the speed at which the game was being played. McLeod showed more than RNH - he at least flashed and presented himself as a threat a few times.

You can throw stats around but it doesn’t mean anything if RNH can’t perform once it’s above the timberline.

 

[Hitemwith4]

Depends on what Campbell they get

There were times where Campbell was one best goalies in the league for leafs and there were Campbell was one of the worst goalies in the league

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

That’s a pretty average to subpar bottom 9.

Remove the top line (Both McDavid and Leon because they still just end up playing together) and the next 3 lines are not that good compared to other teams

what does a good bottom 9 look like then?

 

[Tairy Greene]

I'm not sure their goaltending is any better than last season. Campbell isn't a guy to push them over the top or anything, I think they need another top 4 defenseman to do that. Having said that they have a dynamic forward group and are in a weak division, they could have another deep playoff run if everything lines up.

 

[Master P]

I don't think they're that good tbh.

I get that they have McDavid and Draisitle but overall as a team, I think they're lacking.

 

[McShogun99]

I'd put them in the top 8 of league. Last season they were one of the best teams in the league outside of a 21 game stretch before Tippet got fired. This season will be a full year of Woodcroft, more consistent goaltending and better depth in the lineup.

 

[snipes]

Am sorry but Oilers dont have a legit #1 goalie. Campbell is not that proven yet to carry the load like a Demko, or Markstrom or Gibson etc. Nurse maybe a #1D on Oilers but he is not what I would call the prototypical #1 D that can be a difference maker on the ice. Now he might the best D on a handful of NHL teams but certainly not 12. I will say that if Nurse is your #1D, then you are in trouble and speaks volume of how weak the team D is.

The same Markstrom that the Oilers eviscerated in round 2?

 

[TheDoldrums]

There are 53 goalies on this list, and Campbell ranks 10th. That's very good, especially since (as noted) Toronto are an offence-heavy team. And that's including this mythical "horrible period" he had last season.

Unfortunately, this list also makes Mike Smith look good on account of his excellent 2021 season. But I think we all know that Mike Smith is awful.

So to summarize, Jack Campbell is good because he's 10th on that list. Mike Smith is 7th! But he's not good, because we as Oilers fans have watched him and don't trust him. Leafs fans don't seem to think Campbell is very good either but what do they know, he's 10th on the list!

 

[Suntouchable13]

I think Campbell is a really solid pickup for the Oilers and should greatly help stabilize their net. Campbell had consistency struggles in Toronto last year, but that was while battling two separate injuries. If he can stay healthy, I think they'll be very happy.

Team is still McDrai and a bunch of randoms. The depth and defense fluctuate between bad and mediocre, but those two big guns are good enough to win games single(double?) handedly and often do it in the playoffs. Hard to label them as a top contender, a single injury could put them out of the playoffs and the big contenders like Tampa make it to the cup finals while missing a guy like Point or Stamkos every year. But results do matter and McDavid+Drai have proven they can carry a team deep. It's like the inverse Carey Price.

Stable goaltending will give McDrai a bit more leeway, and that's 100% a good thing for the Oilers.

LOL, every Leafs fan loved Hyman and wanted him back but all of a sudden he is a "random"? How is Kane a "random"? I just think it's unfair how Oilers are being labeled as.

 

[PaulD]

It would be such a Oiler thing that after pretty good season they miss PO or get knocked out in first round.

"Pretending he's some sort of strength is completely inaccurate."

Thanks. Nowhere did I pretend he's some sort of strength. I was responding to the poster who said Campbell had 1 good month (November) and was subpar / awful the rest of the season -- which is a complete fiction.

We have no idea how Campbell will do for Edmonton (what? we don't have a crystal ball?). So, we'll all have to, you know, watch the games and see.

But this perspective, continually put forward by certain Leafs' fans (and nobody else) that Jack Campbell was a poor goalie who directly or indirectly was part of the team's problem, is just embarrassingly dumb.

Campbell is a great back up goalie.

As a number one........ he is not the guy anyone would jump at having. But the Oilers definitely improved from last year in goal.

LOL, every Leafs fan loved Hyman and wanted him back but all of a sudden he is a "random"? How is Kane a "random"? I just think it's unfair how Oilers are being labeled as.

If Kane had signed with the leafs their fans would love the guy. He scored more play off goals in one round than Marner has in his career. Evander is a winger you want in a seven game series.

 

[notbias]

There are 53 goalies on this list, and Campbell ranks 10th. That's very good, especially since (as noted) Toronto are an offence-heavy team. And that's including this mythical "horrible period" he had last season.

Unfortunately, this list also makes Mike Smith look good on account of his excellent 2021 season. But I think we all know that Mike Smith is awful.

"Mike Smith is bad despite the stats"

"You can't say Campbell is bad, look at the stats"

love when you post, always a laugh.

Campbell was trash for most of the year, not debatable, would have taken him back on a low-risk deal, but 5x5 is insane.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

"Mike Smith is bad despite the stats"

"You can't say Campbell is bad, look at the stats"

love when you post, always a laugh.

Campbell was trash for most of the year, not debatable, would have taken him back on a low-risk deal, but 5x5 is insane.

Mike Smith is old and injured all the time and lets in goals from center ice and because of his puck handling

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

I highly doubt Campbell is good enough to replicate the Mike Smith special.

 

[notbias]

Mike Smith is old and injured all the time and lets in goals from center ice and because of his puck handling

Jack Campbell is not young, was injured often, and let in goals from everywhere due to sucking for most of the year.

I think Campbell can be a good goalie, and has shown that, he was just terrible for the majority of the season.

 

[Peasy]

Yes, they are about League average for that period. Scoring has gone up, dude. Anyway, who cares about a few degrees of save percentage? Wins are what matter. The Leafs, just like the Oilers, are an offensively-tilted club who, despite considerable talent, give up a lot of scoring chances. If a goalie's (long-term) stats are "average" on those clubs, then the goalie is probably slightly above-average in actual ability.

Here's something Leafs' fan may not be aware of since 1967: You don't win the Stanley Cup with save percentage. You win with wins. Campbell is probably the winningest goalie in the NHL (in win percentage) the past two seasons combined. The Leafs won, at a fabulous rate, when he was in net. He was the least of the club's problems.

How about we look at a larger sample than three months of last season? Here's the save percentages of goalies the past two seasons (min. 40 appearances):
1. Shesterkin .928
2. Sorokin .923
3. Saros .921
4. Varlamov .920
5. Vasilevsky .920
6. Swayman .920
7. Smith .919
8. Kuemper .917
9. Ullmark .917
10. Campbell .916
11. Forsberg .916
12. Fleury .915
13. Jarry .915
14. Markstrom .915
15. Demko .915

There are 53 goalies on this list, and Campbell ranks 10th. That's very good, especially since (as noted) Toronto are an offence-heavy team. And that's including this mythical "horrible period" he had last season.

Unfortunately, this list also makes Mike Smith look good on account of his excellent 2021 season. But I think we all know that Mike Smith is awful.

What the Oilers desperately need is a new, functional goalie tandem. I personally am pleased going into the season with Campbell and Skinner. The reigns are there for either one to grab, but I think they're going to need both of them playing consistent, decent hockey, without Mike Smith's tendencies to roam and give up goals while staring down and blaming his teammates.

Like the Leafs, the Oilers simply need League-average goaltending, but from now on without any drama, please.

Did you even read my post? My sample size was 5 months... And no, .896sv% is not league average... He was well BELOW league average for the majority of the season. That 5 month stretch he was well below league average....

But just keep ignoring that for some reason. And you keep bringing up his wins lmao... Yeah he has a lot of wins because of the team he played on. This isn't shesterkin we're talking about where the rangers were much worse off without him.

Petr mrazek had 12 wins and 6 losses last year playing for the leafs despite being even WORSE than Campbell. He didn't even have a 890sv% last season. Just because Mrazek won 2 games for every game he lost does not mean that he was a good goalie and the Leafs would want him back...

So please tell me how it is Campbell that was winning the leafs the majority of these games and not the skaters?

 

[jackjohnson]

The same Markstrom that the Oilers eviscerated in round 2?

How does this has any relations with how good Campbell is? Campbell was terrible down stretch in the regular season so he wouldnt even fare that good in playoffs. There is a reason why Leafs gave up on him, they dont see him as a #1 goalie especially one that can win a cup.