According to a Toronto hockey writer, the Leafs “dodged a huge bullet” without signing Jack Campbell. But who will have the last laugh?

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This is from maple leafs insider hockey report hockey writer Ryan Smitheram and his take on Jack Campbell’s late start with the Edmonton Oilers.

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“So far, Kyle Dubus seems to have dodged a big bullet by not giving Campbell the two-year extension he wanted. When he signed Ilya Samsonov at his agent, he laughed at how he hailed Campbell as their savior.On social media, Oilers fans were skeptical about whether the team would trade Campbell or waive him. , hopes to acquire it at the end of the season.”

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Smithelum tenderly chided Campbell for not accepting a short-term deal in Toronto, concluding, “He got the money in the end, but now he might lose the job he was trying to get.” rice field.

my view

1. Jack Campbell certainly got off to a dismal start with the Oilers. It’s also fair to suggest that some Oilers fans believe the Oilers self-harmed on Campbell’s five-year, $5 million contract. I’ve seen the concept fly around.

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2. But not all Oilers fans feel this way. Especially given the way nearly every NHL goalie rides a constant rollercoaster of highs and lows, a streak of strong performances, a continuous line where goalies get blown up, I’m with Campbell . Campbell is now continuing such a winning streak.

3. His .873 save percentage ranks 54th among 57 goaltenders in the NHL who have played at least five games this year. In Toronto, Samsonov has a .921 save percentage so far, and backup Eric Calgren has a .893 (not as good as Campbell). But last season, both Campbell and Stuart Skinner were hot red hot to start the year with .932 save percentages, as were their predecessors in Edmonton, Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen. , followed by hot and cold streaks. Hot and cold streaks are not unusual and are the norm for most NHL goalies.

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4. Campbell had a .946 save percentage in his first 18 games for Toronto. 872 save percentage in 15 games. I can see if he can turn the game around here, but I wouldn’t go against him at this point. he will understand

5. It may also be worth noting that Edmonton and many other NHL teams have done very well in recent years with the former Leafs. Former Leaf Zach Hyman is Edmonton’s premier winger. Cody Cesi and Tyson Barry provide solid two-way play defensively. All three are important players on a good Oilers team. A young Sean Durge became his d-man in a solid top four in Los Angeles, while another former Leaf, Carl, also provided his Grandstrom with his gritty two-way play to the Kings. Mason Marchment tore it up in Florida last year and landed a big deal with Dallas. Frederik Andersen had a strong season at the Net in Carolina last year (although he’s been erratic so far this year). Ilya Lyubushkin is Buffalo’s d-man battering ram. Nazemquadri helped Colorado’s Stanley win his cup last season.

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Hyman, Kadri, Ceci, Marchment, Grandstrom, Mikheev, Barry, Durj, Ljubuschkin, Andersen, who forgot? Not a bad group of players. Some might argue that Toronto is much better than the players they retained instead, but what Toronto has spent on their star players means that salary cap concerns mean they can’t afford to retain all those players. But some players were traded along with high draft picks to bring in older veterans to help Toronto win the Cup. The strategy will finally bear fruit this year. or not. Let’s see.

5. Jack Campbell paid a heavy price for the Oilers. The team placed big bets on this goalkeeper. But looking at his overall record, Campbell has put together six decent professional hockey seasons in a row and has played consistently well enough to land a big contract in the ECHL to NHL.

He has finished his work before. he will do it again.

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