The Edmonton Oilers have gone through some changes in recent days, as they first decided to send Jack Campbell to the American Hockey League (AHL) to play with the Bakersfield Condors, followed by firing now-former head coach Jay Woodcroft and former assistant coach Dave Manson.
The Oilers have replaced their head coach with Kris Knoblauch, while Calvin Pickard has replaced Campbell between the pipes. While fans are wondering what the next step is for the team and are hoping these changes will be enough to turn the Oilers’ season around, there were some players who placed the blame on themselves following Campbell’s demotion.
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Campbell hadn’t been playing well prior to his demotion to the AHL and while the team expected him to find his confidence and play a lot better before they called him back up, he still seems to be playing under pressure. In five games with the Oilers this season, he posted a 4.50 goals-against-average (GAA) and a .873 save percentage (SV%) before being sent down.
With the Condors this season he has posted a 4.36 GAA and a .819 SV% through three games, making him one of the worst goaltenders in the AHL at this point. Unfortunately, even though the Oilers think they let Campbell down with their play in front of him, he’s proving them wrong.
What Can The Oilers Do?
The Oilers made the right decision to send Campbell down and allow him to get some starting reps in hopes of finding his game. With his $5 million contract that extends through the 2026-27 season, it would be tough to move him but it’s something they should consider trying to get off the books.
There are several teams around the NHL that could be willing to take on his contract with no retention if it came with draft assets including the Arizona Coyotes, San Jose Sharks, and Columbus Blue Jackets. If the cost is a second and third-round draft pick to send Campbell away and free up $5 million in cap space, that should be a no-brainer for the Oilers.
If the asking price is higher or teams won’t budge on retention, the next option is a buyout. A buyout in the upcoming offseason would mean the length would be six years long but would save the Oilers $4.5 million overall. It’s a risky move to make, but I think freeing up some money and moving him off the team would be the most ideal scenario right now, even if it means paying him to play against the Oilers for the foreseeable future.
What Does Campbell’s Future Hold?
Based on Campbell’s play in the AHL since being sent down, it’s fair to assume he won’t be making his way back to the NHL level anytime soon. His continued struggles are alarming considering the Oilers were hoping for him to find his game and make his way back after a quick reset, but he continues to crack under the pressure and lacks confidence between the pipes. It’s super unfortunate for Campbell, who is a really nice guy off the ice, to be going through this really tough stretch, but there is still hope that he can find his way back to the NHL soon enough.
The Oilers have seemingly snapped out of their awful start to the 2023-24 season, and are undefeated since hiring their new head coach. They have now climbed to a 5-9-1 record after their recent victory against the Seattle Kraken put them on a three-game winning streak. They are back in action on Saturday (Nov. 18) against a struggling Tampa Bay Lightning squad, hoping to continue the impressive little streak they have going.