Oilers' Jack Campbell playing even worse in the AHL

Things are starting to get ugly for Edmonton Oilers goaltender Jack Campbell.

After a horrid start in the NHL this season, the team decided to waive the 31-year-old Michigan native last week. After clearing waivers, he was assigned to the AHL to play with the Bakersfield Condors.

Initially, it sounded like the plan was to have Campbell play in some games to regain his confidence before eventually returning to the NHL. However, things have not gone as planned through his first three AHL starts.

His first game with the Condors was a disaster, letting in four goals on 20 shots against the Abbotsford Canucks. He made headlines for all the wrong reasons in his debut after letting in a particularly ugly goal off the stick of Nils Åman.

Oh no Jack….oh dear god…

Nils Åman's second of the night is ….how you say….one of those one's a goalie will want back! #Canucks pic.twitter.com/vkRBu9cNk6

— Cody Severtson (@CodySevertson) November 10, 2023

And it hasn’t gotten any better since. The Condors have opted to start Campbell in three straight games since he got demoted and the results have not been there. Through his brief AHL tenure, he has allowed 13 goals on 72 shots, giving him a putrid .819 save percentage.

This is worse than the .873 save percentage he recorded with the Oilers in five NHL games this season.

Oilers GM Ken Holland was able to witness one of these performances in person, as he travelled the QEII to watch the Condors lose 6-3 to the Calgary Wranglers on Tuesday night.

Worth noting that Oilers GM Ken Holland was at the Saddledome tonight watching the Condors-Wranglers game https://t.co/WOtNc6vYjK

— Salim Nadim Valji (@salimvalji) November 15, 2023

If there was a path back to the NHL when Campbell was initially sent down, it has now been clouded. The Oilers are finally starting to get some league-average goaltending from Stuart Skinner over the past few games and are currently on a two-game winning streak.

Throwing Campbell into the mix as he continues to struggle in the AHL might be a bit too risky with the season already on the brink of collapse.

Oilers fans, being the vigilant fan base that they are, have not let this poor play go unnoticed.

Jack Campbell needs to take a leave of absence. Sticking it out, hoping it gets better and getting shelled in the minors is not going to help.

— Brett Chestley (@BrettChestley) November 15, 2023

Jack Campbell has been a utter disappointment this season. Even with being sent down

— Allan Boissoneau (@allanboissoneau) November 15, 2023

Jack Campbell has a .819 save percentage through three AHL games😱

What the hell happened to Soupy

— Jacob Billington (@JacobBillingt10) November 15, 2023

Jack Campbell is an .819 SV% and an 0-3-0 in the AHL. He's not finding his game.

— nick | 72-9-1 | FIRE KEN HOLLAND (@2003nicko) November 15, 2023

The Michigan native still has three more seasons left on a contract that carries a $5 million cap hit. Though the Oilers do save some money with him playing in the AHL, it still counts as $3.85 million against the cap.

Trading his contract is sure to be a chore as it’s likely teams will ask the Oilers to sweeten the pot with significant draft capital or top prospects.

A buyout in the offseason would be the easiest way to rid themselves of the player, but they would have to deal with a lingering penalty of over $1 million until the 2029/30 season.

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