His move from Edmonton’s first team to the farm didn’t go unnoticed. After all, Jack Campbell is one of the better-known goalkeepers, and you won’t find a fighter with such a high salary one floor lower. He himself wondered why the team took this step.
“It was tough, I’m not going to lie,” Campbell told reporters Thursday. “I’m pretty hard on myself, I think it’s pretty well known in the hockey world. Of course, in the NHL, every team is primarily about results, but I felt I was playing well, I was catching with confidence. But of course the numbers weren’t good enough .”
The Oilers placed Campbell on waivers on Tuesday to send him to Bakersfield. The veteran goaltender is 1-4-0 with the Oilers this season, with an 87.3 save percentage and a 4.50 goals-against average. Campbell is also among the top ten goalkeepers in both goals against average (minus 4.88) and goals against expected (minus 3.24).
However, Campbell did not perform ideally even in the AHL. He allowed four goals on 20 shots in a 1-4 Canucks loss to Abbotsford.
Additionally, Abbotsford’s third goal midway through the game was all his own.
“Today was just about playing and getting used to it,” Campbell said after the game. “I think there was a lot of emotion, a lot of nerves. I wanted to do well, it didn’t quite go according to plan. I have a few things I need to keep working on to improve and that doesn’t change whether I’m here or up in the NHL.”
Thursday’s game was Campbell’s first AHL game since the 2018/19 season. The 31-year-old is currently in the second season of a five-year, $25 million deal.
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