Oilers call up goalie Jack Campbell from AHL in middle of playoff round
The Edmonton Oilers have called up goaltender Jack Campbell from the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors for the first time since he was assigned there back in November.
This comes after the Condors were eliminated by the Ontario Reign in the first round of the AHL playoffs. Defenceman Philip Broberg was also called up.
🔁 #Oilers roster moves 🔁
🔹 Defenceman Philip Broberg has been recalled from the @Condors.
🔸 Goaltender Jack Campbell has also been recalled from Bakersfield.#LetsGoOilers— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 29, 2024
Campbell will most likely join the team’s black aces squad for the remainder of the playoff run and is unlikely to even be on the Oilers bench unless an injury occurs to either Stuart Skinner or Calvin Pickard. The same can be said for Broberg, who probably won’t be in the lineup unless one of the team’s regular seven defenders can’t play for whatever reason.
The 32-year-old goaltender has not had the season he envisioned with the Oilers. In the second year of a five-year deal, Campbell appeared in just five NHL games this season where he pitched a 1-4-0 record and .873 save percentage before being sent to the AHL.
With the Condors, things were a bit of a rollercoaster. Things started terribly for the veteran in the minors, but he was able to smooth things over in the long run. He ended the year with an 18-13-1 record and a very good .918 save percentage in 33 AHL games.
Despite all the poor results in Edmonton, Campbell’s one playoff appearance with the Oilers is a bright spot. He came on in relief of Skinner in Game 4 of last year’s series against the Kings where he helped the Oilers come back from a 3-0 deficit to win the game 5-4 in OT.
Again, the chances that Campbell appears in an Oilers playoff game this time around is slim, but having an experienced NHL goaltender waiting in the wings in case of emergency is not all that bad. Look at the Vancouver Canucks, who have lost both Thatcher Demko and Casey DeSmith to injuries in the first round and are relying on two rookie goaltenders to get them through the playoffs.
We’ll see if that opportunity opens up for Campbell down the stretch.
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