As per Elliotte Friedman on the latest 32 Thoughts podcast, more and more, he’s starting to see Jack Campbell as a fit with the Edmonton Oilers. A pending UFA, Campbell is going to be one of the more coveted goaltenders in this year’s free agency market and the belief is that he won’t be back with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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What Toronto will do about their goaltending situation remains unclear even though it is priority number one for GM Kyle Dubas. Friedman shot down speculation that the Maple Leafs are interested in Matt Murray. He’s also not convinced it’s John Gibson and that “there was just no match between Toronto and Anaheim”. He adds that Ville Husso out of St. Louis could be someone the Leafs take a run at.
When it comes to Campbell and the Oilers, this is a move that might make sense for both sides. The Oilers are not likely to get Mike Smith back (LTIR) and have Stuart Skinner as their backup. They need a netminder who can play 50 games and Campbell has proven he can do that. His numbers were strong in Toronto over 49 games, posting a 2.64 goals against in the regular season with a .914 save percentage. It was his most active season to date.
The risk is whether Campbell can maintain his high level of play, even into the playoffs. He faltered down the stretch for Toronto, to the point they felt like they might have needed to add a goalie heading into the 2021-22 postseason.
The Oilers also have about $4-$5 million to spend on a goaltender and while they’d rather not get into the fives with Campbell, that could be what it takes to get a deal done if there are multiple teams looking at him in free agency. Campbell isn’t young (30), so a long-term deal does carry some risk and perhaps the Oilers are looking at a three-year term, maybe four if they can get the AAV a little lower.
What Is Edmonton Selling?
One can imagine that a player like Zach Hyman might get on the phone and make a call touting the benefits of playing in Edmonton. Will playing for a team that went to the Western Conference Final, has a player Campbell knows well, and employs two of the best players in the NHL be enough? The Oilers will find out on July 13.
Next: Insiders Offer Hints On Maple Leafs Offseason Plans
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