Jack Campbell responds to Oilers plan to recall him from AHL

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Liam McCormick
December 18, 2023 (1:47 PM)

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Since the beginning of the season, Jack Campbell hasn't been able to stop a beach ball. After struggling greatly in his first 5 games of the season, losing four games and posting a .873 save percentage, Campbell was sent to the minors where his struggles have only worsened.

The Oilers had clearly hoped that Campbell would find his confidence and success in the AHL and be quickly recalled, and now Campbell's play has provided them no other options. He needed them to provide a reason to believe in calling him up, and instead, he's only fast-tracking the end of his career. In his last three games especially, Campbell's play has taken a turn for the worse in the AHL - with a horrific .819 save percentage.

After being pulled in his last game, Campbell has officially reached rock bottom in his game. At this point, if he can't show an immediate turnaround, Campbell's career could be in jeopardy.

This moves the task to the Oilers front office to find a way to move Campbell's salary, which could prove to be an impossible task. His trade value is currently a massive negative with his play and length of his contract, and so a buy-out could be the last resort. Recently, Elliotte Friedman reported that the Blue Jackets are looking for a change of scenery for goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, and was naturally connected to Edmonton. If Columbus is willing to accept the risk, and Edmonton does as well in the struggling Merzlikins, it could be a good fit.