Are The Oilers Forced To Trade Jack Campbell?
It’s now been 30 years since a Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup. The Oilers were Canada’s best chance to bring Lord Stanley home but they were just eliminated in six games via the Vegas Golden Knights. After another disappointing season while having the two best players in the world on your roster, where does Edmonton go from here? Doesn’t the answer to that question have to start with Jack Campbell?
Stop paying your goalies. I don’t know how many times I have to say it but this is just another example in the long line of examples. The sport has changed and goalies don’t dictate series’ anymore. Campbell, 31, signed a five year deal worth $25 million this past offseason. Edmonton played 12 playoff games and Campbell didn’t start a single one.
If it’s any consolation prize, Campbell played in three straight playoff games after Stuart Skinner was yanked in all of them. Regardless, even a half-brain-dead salamander would understand what’s going on here. Edmonton has lost all confidence in Campbell and I just simply don’t know how you salvage it at this point.
It’s not like the Oilers can just bite the bullet here either and work around it. This is a team with zero cap space. Literally zero. Maybe zero is putting it nicely. We’ll see how much the cap goes up but keep in mind that Derek Ryan, Mattias Janmark, Ryan McLeod, Klim Kostin, Nick Bjugstad, and Evan Bouchard need new contracts in some form or fashion. This is also a team that went 11-7 for much of the season totally punting on the bottom six.
This blue line has to get better. The depth forward group has to get better. The only way forward to making sure that happens is by sending Campbell to another home. Finding a taker for Campbell is another story. It’s also really the only way to improve this roster.
Based on what Campbell gave Edmonton, they shouldn’t feel hesitant to move on even if it’s a deal where they get the losing end of it. This front office is just going to have to accept they made a wrong call. Even Campbell was pissed about his performance with the team. In 36 games, Campbell posted an .888 SV%. Just awful.
The $5 million AAV has to be moved at all costs. It’s the only path forward. If the cap doesn’t spike, they may have to move him just to keep the current team intact. I can’t see how Jack Campbell is back in Edmonton for another go-around. The bad teams around the league like Arizona should be biting on this sort of deal in order to acquire future assets. It feels inevitable at this point.
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