According to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, because the Oilers were able get two huge boosts to their lineup in Holloway and Perry for free, the team may be in a good position to trade Campbell now. It was previously thought that the Oilers couldn't pay the price to move him, and we're instead planning a buyout in the summer.
If the Oilers had to spend more to acquire the needed help for their bottom-six, they made not have the assets to move Jack Campbell and potentially make another trade for their top-six. Now that the Oilers have addressed some roster needs essentially for cheap, they have the ability to pay the price and trade Campbell.
Campbell has actually recently been very good in the AHL, and may be on his way to earning a call-up back to the NHL. The Oilers initially needed him to regain his confidence in the minor leagues, and it's taken a while, but it seems like he's found his game again. In his last 11 games, he's had an incredible 2.66 GAA and .921 save percentage.
If Campbell can string together some positive performances in the NHL again, his trade value could significantly increase, and the Oilers may be able to move on from him for less than what was initially thought. At first, it was expected the Oilers would have to pay multiple first round draft picks and prospects for a team to take on Campbell's salary of $5M for 4 more years. If the Oilers can find a way to increase Campbell's value and then pay a reduced price to move him in a trade, the team would be able to make a big splash with another high-impact trade this year.
POLL | ||
Should the Oilers pay premium assets to move Campbell? | ||
Yes, trade no matter the cost | 302 | 42.8 % |
No, play him, his value will increase | 238 | 33.8 % |
Keep him, he'll be good | 81 | 11.5 % |
See Results | 84 | 11.9 % |
List of polls |