EDMONTON — Goaltender Jack Campbell has been placed on waivers by the Edmonton Oilers, as general manager Ken Holland begins the process of mitigating — or moving — the worst signing of his tenure with the team.
Pressured to find a goaltender, with incumbents Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen both departing after the 2021-22 season, Holland signed Campbell to a five-year, $25-million deal as an unrestricted free agent.
But Campbell has been an abject failure in Edmonton, and almost certainly will find himself in AHL Bakersfield by week’s end, with the Oilers goaltending in a state of disarray.
Campbell’s numbers this season are abysmal, with an .873 save percentage, a 4.50 goals against average and a 1-4 record through five starts. Among the NHL goaltenders who have played over 250 minutes this season, Campbell’s save percentage is fifth worst, while his GAA ranks 43rd.
Entering last season as the expected starter in Edmonton, he swiftly lost the No. 1 job to Stuart Skinner. Campbell’s final stats in ‘22-23 — 3.41 GAA, .888 save percentage — resulted in him not getting a single playoff start through the Oilers’ two playoff rounds.
Campbell enjoyed a stellar pre-season and was rewarded with the start on Opening Night in Vancouver. But an 8-1 loss saw him get the hook, and his game since returned to a level that forced Holland’s hand on Tuesday.
With Skinner also struggling mightily, the Oilers GM needs to find a goalie who can get his team off of their path to missing the playoffs. Sending Campbell down will save the team $1.075 million on its salary cap.
Holland will use much of that space up if he calls up farmhand goalie Calvin Pickard ($762,500 AAV), with the team’s next game set for San Jose on Thursday night.
Edmonton’s goaltending is brutal this season, ranked dead last by Natural Stat Trick in high danger goals allowed, despite the fact the Oilers are ranked fifth in allowing such chances.
