Insider reveals the cost of trading Jack Campbell
Just 41 games into the his contract with the Edmonton Oilers, Jack Campbell has found himself one of the worst goaltenders in the league - not even in the NHL, but the AHL. Signed last offseason by Ken Holland for 5 years at $5M a year, Campbell's contract has turned out to be potentially the worst in the league, and it's seriously harming the Oilers as they try to compete for a Stanley Cup.
With cap space being such an asset in the NHL, especially for contending teams like Edmonton who can use it to make effective tweaks to an elite core, a contract like Campbell's is a total anchor. Even as he plays for the AHL Bakersfield Condors, his contract being on the roster is actively hurting the Oilers when they could be using his money for an effective player.
Unfortunately for the Oilers, with his play being this poor, his long term contract becomes almost not moveable, or it will go for an incredibly high price. According to Oilers insider Jason Gregor in a report today, the team would need to attach significant assets to any trade involving Campbell, to even the costs. Those assets could be a prospect like Broberg, draft capital, both, or taking on another bad contract in return.
The Oilers have recently been connected to Columbus' starting goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, who is also struggling on a large contract - but still far better than Campbell. As Gregor puts it, the Blue Jackets aren't taking on Campbell with a sub .890 save percentage in the AHL without the Oilers making it worth their while. If Holland is going to move Campbell, it's going to cost the Oilers dearly to do so.
| POLL | ||
Should the Oilers trade Campbell if it costs them several assets? | ||
| Yes, it's worth it to get out of the contract | 367 | 53 % |
| No, it's not worth it, keep playing him | 88 | 12.7 % |
| Buy him out | 237 | 34.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
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