Understanding Jack Campbell Speaks Out After Oilers Demotion

When asked about being placed on waivers and then ultimately sent down to the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL, Jack Campbell responded, “Pretty tough, I’m not gonna to lie. It’s not been fun up there this year. We’re working through it and obviously looking to get results, and hearing the news was very difficult.” He added, “I’m pretty hard on myself, I think that’s pretty well documented around the hockey world. I felt I was playing well, has some confidence. But, obviously, the numbers weren’t good enough.”

He explained, “I have some things I’ve got to keep working on to get to the next level in my game, and that doesn’t change whether I’m here or up in the NHL. Just gotta get to work tomorrow.”

The struggling goaltender holds a 1-4-0 record with the Edmonton team this season, accompanied by a save percentage of .873 and a goals-against average of 4.50.

The first game Campbell started for the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL suggested that whole “playing well” thing might have been a bit presumptuous. Campbell let in four goals on 20 shots, the third one that just dribbled under him in one of the lousiest goals of the year. Whether it was jitters or his confidence is now completely shattered with the waiver decision remains to be seen.

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“Tonight was just about getting out there,” Campbell said after the game. Video of his gaffe went viral as the Oilers were losing to the San Jose Sharks. “I think a lot of emotions, a lot of nerves. I want to play well for the group,” he added. “I wanted to do well, didn’t quite go as planned. For me, it’s just about staying with my details.”

Campbell Could Be Down in the AHL For A Bit

Campbell is currently in the second season of a five-year, $25-million deal. If he keeps struggling in the AHL (where the entire plan seems to be to allow him to find his game), he might not be back in the NHL for some time. That poses a problem for the Oilers, who also have a struggling Stuart Skinner trying to find his game and Calvin Pickard backing him up.

The Oilers are already rumored to be looking around the NHL market for a goaltending fix, with Elliotte Friedman recently reporting that the team was close to pulling something off this past Wednesday. The move was not said to have included Campbell, which means the Oilers might have had a three-headed goalie situation on their hands if another move wasn’t made to send one of Campbell of Skinner elsewhere.

Next: Oilers Were on “Precipice of a Big Move” Wednesday