Edmonton Oilers place goaltender Jack Campbell on waivers
By Zach Laing
5 months agoThe Edmonton Oilers have placed goaltender Jack Campbell on waivers, the club announced Tuesday.
The move comes a night after the Oilers dropped a 6-2 decision to the Vancouver Canucks, dropping their record to 2-8-1.
While Campbell’s pre-season was promising, posting some of the best numbers among all goaltenders, his regular season has been horrendous —a carryover from last year. He’s appeared in five games for the Oilers this year, allowing 20 goals against on 157 shots, giving him a .873 save percentage and a 4.50 goals-against average. His record in those games is 1-4.
In four out of those five games, Campbell allowed four or more goals, with his worst performance coming against the Canucks on Oct. 11, the Oiler’s season-opening match, where he allowed four goals again on 16 shots before being pulled for Stuart Skinner, who finished with the same stat line.
Skinner himself has undergone significant struggles this year, too. In seven appearances and six starts, he’s allowed 26 goals against 180 shots, giving him a .856 save percentage, a 3.99 goals-against average and a 1-4-1 record. He’s allowed four or more goals in four of seven starts, looking dismal against the Canucks in three games in which he allowed 14 goals against on 54 shots carrying a .794 save percentage and 5.60 GAA.
According to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, the Oilers plan to recall Calvin Pickard from their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. Pickard has appeared in four games this year, posting a 2-2 record, .939 save percentage, and a 2.03 GAA.
The Oilers were running out of options in the crease, and this waiver move will shift some of Campbell’s salary off their books. According to salary cap site PuckPedia, the action will save the Oilers $1.15 million against the cap, landing a net savings of $387,500.
The move to put Campbell on waivers is undoubtedly one that will shake not just the Oilers but the NHL as a whole, as the organization shows significant signs of discontent in a Cup or Bust year.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.
Recent articles from Zach Laing
