Jack Campbell's NHL career hits rock bottom.
The Edmonton Oilers goaltender may have hit rock bottom in his professional hockey career.
Goaltending is something of an enigmatic discipline in the sport of professional hockey with nearly every goaltender to ever play the game at the highest level experiencing ups and downs during their respective careers. Even world class level goaltenders can at times lose their starting job in goal, but when we start talking about demotions to the American Hockey League is when things really start to become concerning.
Edmonton Oilers goaltender Jack Campbell knows this all too well having spent the last 10 games of the season in the AHL with the Oilers affiliate team, the Bakersfield Condors. Campbell was sent down due to his abysmal play at the National Hockey League level but unfortunately things have not improved for him in Bakersfield. Over those 10 games Campbell has recorded a .888 save percentage and a 3.46 goals against average, and this week NHL insider Elliotte Friedman indicated that things may in fact be even worse for Campbell now than when he was initially demoted.
During an appearance on 630 CHED with Bob Stauffer, Friedman indicated that his sources have informed him that Campbell hasn't even been able to hold on to the starting job at the AHL level.
"One of the things I'm hearing out in Bakersfield is that Campbell might not be the starter there if he hasn't lost the job already," said Friedman this week.
That was all but confirmed by Stauffer himself, who is in the employ of the Edmonton Oilers organization.
"They're starting Rodrigue 2 of the next 3 games down in Bakersfield," confirmed Stauffer.
Friedman believes that the decision to send Campbell down to the AHL has been a disaster for the Oilers, with Campbell's career seemingly hitting rock bottom.
"This plan that the Oilers had that this would be a short trip for Campbell and he would come back, it's going in the other direction," said Friedman.
It even sounds like Campbell has played so poorly that the Oilers may have factored him out of the equation all together.
"I think it becomes now how comfortable are you with Skinner/Pickard," concluded the insider.
