"Excited to write a new script": Oilers' Campbell worked hard to improve mental game this summer

To say Jack Campbell’s first season with the Edmonton Oilers went poorly would be an understatement.

The 31-year-old was signed to a five-year, $25 million deal last offseason in hopes that he would stabilize the Oilers’ goaltending position. Instead, he posted a 3.41 goals against average (GAA) paired with a .888 save percentage (SV%) and was replaced by Stuart Skinner as the team’s starting netminder.

As ugly as it was, Campbell was able to reset this summer, and is coming back into training camp this year with a very positive mindset. He admitted he is excited to change the current narrative on himself in 2023-24.

“So much good came from having such a tough year as far as my growth this summer,” Campbell explained. “My focus is getting back to where I know I can be at, and even elevating that from what I’ve done in the past. I’m just really excited for the opportunity to write a new script this year and to get to work with the guys.”

One issue that Campbell has had throughout his career is his mental approach. He tends to get down on himself after allowing goals, which can sink his confidence. We saw just that out of him last season, though that may have been the last of it. He told reporters today that a big part of his summer was working on his mental approach in order to stay more positive, even when things aren’t going as well as he would like.

“I love to judge myself pretty heavily, so just trying to let that go and just play hockey,” Campbell said. “Things are going to happen out there. Things are going to go great, and sometimes it’s not going to go my way, but just not being too hard on myself, but still keeping that passion of wanting to save every shot. [It’s] not something necessarily losing a week’s worth of sleep over.”

While Campbell’s season certainly didn’t go as planned, there was undeniably a lot of pressure placed on him from the get-go. Now that everyone is aware of what Skinner is capable of, that pressure should be alleviated from Campbell. It remains to be seen, but there is reason for optimism that he is in store for a bounce-back season.

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