Oilers waive veteran goaltender amid struggles

Mired in a nightmarish 2-8-1 start and unable to buy a save, the Edmonton Oilers placed goaltender Jack Campbell on waivers on Tuesday, the club said for purposes of assignment. Once the Oilers generate the requisite salary-cap space with Campbell’s demotion, sources say the team’s plan is to recall Calvin Pickard from AHL Bakersfield to meet the team in San Jose ahead of Thursday’s game.

Campbell, 31, has struggled mightily since signing a five-year, $25 million deal in Edmonton in 2022. In five starts this season, Campbell has allowed at least four goals against in four outings and was yanked in the season opener in Vancouver on Oct. 11. He’s let in 19 goals in the four losses (1-4-0) and holds an unsightly .873 save percentage.

The Oilers were counting on a bounce-back campaign from Campbell after a brutal first year in Oil Country. Thanks mostly to 24-year-old rookie Stuart Skinner, Edmonton qualified for the playoffs in spite of Campbell, who had an .888 save percentage over 36 appearances. Trust in Campbell clearly waned to the point where the coaching staff declined to give Campbell a start in the Stanley Cup playoffs, despite Skinner being pulled in four of 12 games.

Pickard, also 31, was selected 38 spots behind Campbell in the 2010 NHL Draft. He signed a two-year, two-way contract in Edmonton on the same day Campbell did (July 13, 2022) for organizational depth. After posting a respectable .912 save percentage in Bakersfield last year, Pickard and partner Olivier Rodrigue have helped the Condors to the best team save percentage in the AHL to start this season — which is a stark difference to Edmonton’s 32nd-ranked goaltending in the NHL.

Pickard posted a .939 save percentage in four games this season. One problem: His last NHL stints in Detroit didn’t go so well. Over parts of three seasons, Pickard kicked an .875 save percentage over 12 appearances with the Red Wings, which is exactly the same level of play the Oilers are currently trying to outrun. Even Thursday’s opponent, the Sharks, have a better save percentage than the Oilers — and San Jose just became the first team since 1965 to allow 10 or more goals in back-to-back games.

Skinner has statistically been worse for the Oilers this season with 26 goals allowed in seven appearances for an .856 save percentage, though there is clearly more trust and faith in the Edmonton native over Campbell. Plus, the Oilers know Skinner was likely to be claimed if placed on waivers, and there is next to zero chance with three-plus years remaining on Campbell’s deal.

Campbell is a popular teammate in Edmonton’s locker room. The thought process now is provide time for Campbell to find his game in Bakersfield, Skinner to grab the ball and run with it in Edmonton, and maybe even Pickard to spur the team to a win or two — all while sending a shot across the bow of the rest of the roster.

If that doesn’t stabilize things, the Oilers will be forced to consider other options on the trade market.