After loss to Canucks, Edmonton Oilers place Jack Campbell on waivers: Around the League

This is one of the few times that the Edmonton Oilers making a roster move is of interest to Vancouver Canucks fans.

Really, fans all across the league may be a bit shocked to learn that, in the infancy of the second year of the five-year deal that the Oilers signed him to in the summer of 2022, Edmonton has waived goaltender Jack Campbell.

Campbell wasn’t in goal for the Oilers’ 6-2 defeat at the hands of the Canucks, but just because his goaltending partner Stuart Skinner hasn’t fared much better this season, doesn’t mean Campbell’s results are any less unacceptable. While the 25-year-old Skinner has an .856 save percentage on the year, Campbell’s rocking a marginally better .873, but has won just one of his five starts.

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.

To put it simply, Campbell hasn’t been nearly good enough for the Oilers this year or even last year, when he appeared in just 36 games to the tune of a well below-league average .888 save percentage. Campbell has three years remaining after this season on his five-year contract that carries a cap hit of $5 million.

Here is a breakdown courtesy of Puck Pedia that explains the Oilers’ cap savings, if (and when) Campbell clears waivers tomorrow:

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.

Edmonton’s season has gotten off to an abysmal start, and while they’ve been horrendous at defending against the rush, their goaltenders’ inability to get them a save has dearly cost them this season, as the Stanley Cup-hopefuls have started the year with a 2-8-1 record. The only team with a worse record in the entire league is the San Jose Sharks, who remain winless on the year.

The Sharks and Oilers play on Thursday, and the Sharks have a chance to do the funniest thing imaginable if they pick up their first win of the year against Edmonton.

Read more about this story from our friends over at Oilersnation.com!