Jack Campbell has shot himself in the foot when it comes to reuniting with the Oilers!

When talks out of Edmonton emerged that defenseman Philip Broberg could be on the move, either sent down to the AHL or even traded elsewhere in the NHL, some pundits wondered if it could make room for a return from Jack Campbell.
It is no secret that the veteran goalie hasn’t exactly live up to his contract with the Oilers : when he was placed on waivers early in November, he had a 1-4-0 record with a .873 save percentage and a 4.50 goals-against average. He is currently in the second season of a five-year, $25 million deal signed in Edmonton as a free agent in 2022…

But Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman indeed reported that there was a plan to make room for Campbell, though the goalie himself might have stopped GM Ken Holland’s planned transaction. This is what Friedman revealed in his latest 32 Thoughts column:

“The plan was to bring back Campbell after three strong starts, but the fourth one — a 6-4 win over Texas — didn’t go well, halting the idea. I still believe the Oilers will give Campbell another shot, as it’s better to try to solve your problem than pay whatever it will take to trade your problem (which would be significant), but it might not be until next week. Bakersfield backup Olivier Rodrigue, a good prospect, needs his playing time, too.”

Rodrigue is an interesting option for the Oilers and put up some very good numbers in his 29 games played last year. He recorded a 2.77 goals against average paired with a .912 save percentage at 22 years old. Now a year older, he has had less starts than Campbell in the AHL, but has put up a 2.20 GAA and a .936 SV% that could catch the Oilers’ attention.

I believe he deserves a shot in the NHL and his call up, ahead of Campbell, would only motivate the veteran netminder to play better and more consistently in order to win back the crease. And it wouldn’t be the first time for him. Last season, he was taken over by Stuart Skinner, who is finally finding his game back in 2023-24.

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