Oilers waive Jack Campbell

[ChaoticOrange]

If one day Campbell turns things around and lives up to his contact. He's not the enemy here. It's the dead cap and terrible handling of Brown's bonuses. It's has always been. And people are looking to add more dead caps?

What has Campbell done to get any more looks? Be adequate in the AHL?

 

[LTIR]

About time they waived him... wait..what?

 

[ChaoticOrange]

I feel like you're fearing the inevitable. Campbell is coming back and most likely taking his starting role back. Probably the easiest position in the league to steal. Even Pickard is making a case for starting goalie

Care to put some money on this wager, Jack? I hope Bakersfield's been good to you, pal.

 

[Broberg Speed]

What has Campbell done to get any more looks? Be adequate in the AHL?

he looks fantastic, like the best goaltender in the organization right now

 

[Stoneman89]

he looks fantastic, like the best goaltender in the organization right now

He's playing in the AHL and looks good. Big difference between that and the bigs.

 

[McSuper]

Care to put some money on this wager, Jack? I hope Bakersfield's been good to you, pal.

CO you are going to make some easy money.

 

[Canovin]

Care to put some money on this wager, Jack? I hope Bakersfield's been good to you, pal.

I'm broke. But if I win, you give me $100 anyway?

 

[bone]

There are way too many implications to keeping Campbell vs. buying him out (especially this year specifically) to roll the dice and hope it just works because goalies are "voodoo."

Campbell is a complete f***ing head case whose recent results can't be used as any sort of indicator of future results. Remember in the pre-season when he all of a sudden looked big, looked calm, was tracking the puck well and making saves after a purported off season of a reset and hard work? That went out the window almost immediately and he was back to being a mess. If he had a multi-Vezina track record like Bobrovsky had I might have more patience, but basically a season and a half of decent (not great, just decent) hockey in Toronto isn't enough to take the risk.

In his 5 starts:

Game 1 vs Vancouver, team got blitzed, he didn't look good, but Skinner looked even worse in relief and in the rematch a couple nights later.
Game 2 vs Nashville, 1 GA on 44 shots.
Game 3 vs. Philly, I missed this game for the GNR concert, but from the accounts as I recall, it wasn't a great start but not necessarily bad either, but when the team only scores 1, should the goalie be blamed exclusively blamed.
Game 4 vs. Minnesota. The entire team left him hung out to dry and he was easily the best player on the ice through 2 periods, then the flood gates opened as the team played even worse in the third.
Game 5 vs. Nashville. A poor matinee game by all players. Especially the offense as they got stoned often by Lankanen.

Then he never got another chance.

He wasn't great in those 5 games, but the team as a whole was a dumpster fire that got scored on even more when Skinner was in net.

I'd argue Campbell has never had the opportunity to play behind the best version of the Oilers defensively while being in a strong place mentally except in April-May last year where he looked good.

This is where I contend that if there's any chance at salvaging anything from that contract, we're entering the timeline to test him out while he's in a positive mindset and the team is generally playing well in front of their goalies. Throw in the fact that the Oilers have an absurd amount of games in the next 30 days, that it might not even hurt to have a 3 goalie rotation as they'd each still get a game quite regularly.

 

[OilerTyler]

Care to put some money on this wager, Jack? I hope Bakersfield's been good to you, pal.

Jack isn’t confident enough to speak about himself that way haha

 

[Broberg Speed]

He's playing in the AHL and looks good. Big difference between that and the bigs.

I can't remember the last time I've been wrong about a goaltender. I did underrate Pickard, but due to his mechanics. I pump Pickard's tires based on results.

goaltending is not voodoo

Care to put some money on this wager, Jack? I hope Bakersfield's been good to you, pal.

You trust the Oilers management to do the correct thing... based on prior experience?

 

[bone]

How is his track record at all better than Skinner's? Generously, you could probably say that Campbell's pre-Edmonton time in the NHL is comparable to Skinner's time. Generously being the key word there because I don't think that's accurate either.

Why not. His full career prior to Edmonton 71-39-14, 2.53, .916. Playoffs 6-8, 2.45, .915

Skinner so far 66-33-9, 2.68, .911. Playoffs 5-6, 3.68, .883.

That not generously comparable, it's very comparable, possibly even favorable with the only thing really going to Skinner's edge being that he's significantly younger than Campbell was the time of achieving those stats (which is a major thing).

By no means, am I suggesting he should supplant Skinner, just that the narrative of him only being good for a brief period of time in Toronto is highly exaggerated. His biggest issue has been consistency, but when he's been on, he's generally good for an extended period. And in some of those periods where he was "on", it wasn't like he was playing behind the early 2000s New Jersey or Dallas in terms of defensive play. Look at those LA teams... woof, woof, and even though Toronto fans like to claim Matthews is like prime Bob Gainey defensively, that team has never been overly strong at defense.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Jack isn’t confident enough to speak about himself that way haha

fair point haha

 

[ChaoticOrange]

I'm broke. But if I win, you give me $100 anyway?

Nice try Jack, your salary is public, you're many things but broke you ain't.

 

[Stoneman89]

I can't remember the last time I've been wrong about a goaltender. I did underrate Pickard, but due to his mechanics. I pump Pickard's tires based on results.

goaltending is not voodoo



You trust the Oilers management to do the correct thing... based on prior experience?

 

[K1984]

Why not. His full career prior to Edmonton 71-39-14, 2.53, .916. Playoffs 6-8, 2.45, .915

Skinner so far 66-33-9, 2.68, .911. Playoffs 5-6, 3.68, .883.

That not generously comparable, it's very comparable, possibly even favorable with the only thing really going to Skinner's edge being that he's significantly younger than Campbell was the time of achieving those stats (which is a major thing).

By no means, am I suggesting he should supplant Skinner, just that the narrative of him only being good for a brief period of time in Toronto is highly exaggerated. His biggest issue has been consistency, but when he's been on, he's generally good for an extended period. And in some of those periods where he was "on", it wasn't like he was playing behind the early 2000s New Jersey or Dallas in terms of defensive play. Look at those LA teams... woof, woof, and even though Toronto fans like to claim Matthews is like prime Bob Gainey defensively, that team has never been overly strong at defense.

This is why. It didnt' take until almost 30 years old for Skinner to establish himself as even an AHL starter, let alone NHL.

Campbell has had a roller coaster career pretty much from Day 1. With this player there is a track record of nearly 10 years years of up and down play in all 3 leagues at various times (NHL/AHL/ECHL), about two and a half years of NHL quality play with any consistency.

No offence to you, but I can't personally figure out how anyone can look at Campbell's track record and think "maybe he can turn it around." There is literally nothing in his breadth of work looking back over a decade that could possibly indicate this as a strong possibility, enough to risk bringing him back.

The consequences of him repeating this next year could be as dire as being the one thing that costs us our last chance at winning the Cup. The flip side of that might, might be (if we're lucky) the ability to move him for limited or no retention should he play well next year. Call me crazy, but I am more than willing to sign up for the relatively benign cap penalty to eliminate the risk that this player single handedly ruins a compete season next year.

 

[Aerchon]

he looks fantastic, like the best goaltender in the organization right now

In the AHL...

You just can't compare. Apples to oranges and all that.

General comments.

Jack is most likely done in the NHL.

Our horrendous start was brutal on him and completely unfair but he fell apart. Practically unredeemably so.

I personally would never use him as an nhl starter ever again because of his inconsistencies and weak mental state. Certainly never pencil him in for a playoff game unless forced to.

But.

As it stands today, and if he continues to do well in the AHL... and then preseason... and then a back up...

In other words I would give him another shot to be a back up next year rather than buy him out.

This would also open the door for a expensive asset trade to bury his contract on another team struggling to meet cap floor. Currently his contract is untradable. Next year if... a big if... he can play as a moderate back up... maybe you can move him instead of buy him out. At a cost still but better assets than cap space with where our team is at Currently.

 

[Broberg Speed]

In the AHL...

You just can't compare. Apples to oranges and all that.

General comments.

Jack is most likely done in the NHL.

Our horrendous start was brutal on him and completely unfair but he fell apart. Practically unredeemably so.

I personally would never use him as an nhl starter ever again because of his inconsistencies and weak mental state. Certainly never pencil him in for a playoff game unless forced to.

But.

As it stands today, and if he continues to do well in the AHL... and then preseason... and then a back up...

In other words I would give him another shot to be a back up next year rather than buy him out.

This would also open the door for a expensive asset trade to bury his contract on another team struggling to meet cap floor. Currently his contract is untradable. Next year if... a big if... he can play as a moderate back up... maybe you can move him instead of buy him out. At a cost still but better assets than cap space with where our team is at Currently.

we will see

 

[Perfect_Drug]

What has Campbell done to get any more looks? Be adequate in the AHL?

Arguably the best goalie in the AHL.

 

[HockeyGuy1964]

I'd be surprised if they gave him another shot but if they do I'll be cheering that he does well for us.

I think the players liked him as a guy but I also think they've moved on.

 

[La Bamba]

Much rather give him another shot than ever consider buying out that contract

Skinner has looked like garbage throughout the year as well and so many years of dead cap is terrible, its the main reason calgary so heavily won the lucic neal swap

Edmonton whooped the Flames in the playoffs with Lucic on their roster and 'the ghost of Neal' on ours. I don't see how they won anything. I see it as we planted a shit Lucic on the Flames and beat them lol

It's funny how people are complaining about Neal's buyout penalty but also want to see Campbell bought out...

the next GM could trade Campbell for another bad contract, buy that player out (who has a better buyout), and people would still be mad

 

[JordanGalhanth]

Arguably the best goalie in the AHL.

Anton Lander was a stud in the AHL and Drai was terrible. Goes both ways... I'm sure the same principle applies to goalies as well.

 

[Davo Ikinzom]

Arguably the best goalie in the AHL.

A quick look at AHL goalie stats shows that isn't true.

 

[tiger_80]

Holland's strength seems to be free agent signings (Kane, Hyman, Ceci, Kulak, Ryan, Janmark, Perry), though some big misses too with Campbell and Brown. But he's pretty aweful at negotiating contracts with current players. Trading and drafting are piss poor too.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

A quick look at AHL goalie stats shows that isn't true.

Remove his abysmal start and he's easily been the best since january.

Its how he's climbed to 6th in save%. Even climbed ahead of O-Rod.

If he keeps it up he'll be top 3 in short order.

 

[KaraLupin]

I think as long as they are winning series they will juggle between Skinner and Pickard until they get eliminated. Only an injury would see Jack with the big club. I also think it's probably best for him to finish out his strong play in the AHL, and completely prepare for vying for a role in next season's training camp. It's far too late to bring him up and "see what he's got" as it would be small sample size with little games left.

The current duo have played well enough, to try and bring Jack back this season would not be good vote of confidence for Skinner or Pickard during post-season time, don't ruin their mojo.