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Oilers’ Jack Campbell Clears Waivers, Headed to AHL

The Edmonton Oilers have placed goaltender Jack Campbell on waivers for the purposes of assignment to the AHL.


** Update: November 8, 2023:

Jack Campbell was not claimed by another team and has cleared NHL waivers. The Oilers now need to figure out their backup goalie situation. Luding is in Edmonton as an EBUG from UBC, but it is believed the Oilers will call up Calvin Pickard today.


The Edmonton Oilers have placed goaltender Jack Campbell on waivers for the purposes of assignment to the AHL. The Oilers are taking a calculated risk that his play and salary will mean he’s not claimed, in which case GM Ken Holland can then call up on AHL netminder to back up Stuart Skinner.

Frankly, fans in Edmonton are likely hoping Campbell will get claimed so the Oilers can move on from their outstanding $20 million commitment to him.

Stuart Skinner, regarded as the team’s top choice — even though he too has had a lousy season — , shoulders the weight of delivering wins. With Campbell falling short of hopes, the Oilers are actively pursuing remedies, contemplating drastic actions like trades, buyouts, or overpaying for an upgrade. It starts with his assignment and first passing through waivers.

Insights from Elliotte Friedman on the “32 Thoughts” podcast highlight the Oilers’ pressing need to explore every option for a dependable goalie. One general manager even suggested the Oilers should go to extreme lengths to escape this predicament. The urgency for a solution is palpable, urging the team to consider unconventional avenues to rectify their goaltending struggles.

Jack Campbell Edmonton Oilers goaltender

Something had to give in Edmonton. Campbell has a strong pre-season and it looked like mentally he was back on track to finding his game. His regular season outings proved otherwise, sans a strong game in the early going against the Nashville Predators. Campbell has been one of the worst goalies in the NHL since he signed with Edmonton. It doesn’t seem like he’s going to find his game without some serious time in the minors to get back whatever it is he’s looking for.

As for Skinner, he’ll carry to load, which in itself, is problematic for Edmonton.

Let the Oilers Goaltending Speculation Begin

With Campbell seemingly on his way out, and Skinner struggling, the speculation around what the Oilers might do next will be at an all-time high. Unfortunately, the Oilers can’t bury all of Campbell’s salary in the minors so they’ll have to either live with calling up an AHL netminder or finding a trade for a goaltender that isn’t terribly expensive.

PuckPedia writes:

If replaced by Pickard tomorrow, it increases #LetsGoOilers Projected Cap Space by $318K to $696K total That total can fit $820K additional annual cap hit tmrw, or if saved/accrued with no other moves, it can fit $3.18M annual cap hit at trade deadline.”

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