Even though Stuart Skinner had a fine 2022-2023 season that earned him a Calder Trophy bid and the job of guarding the net for the Edmonton Oilers in the playoffs, Jack Campbell hasn’t had his last word yet and could well have his Work has contributed to this this year.
The former Toronto Maple Leafs struggled early in Alberta after signing a five-year, $25 million deal. His .888 save percentage and 3.41 goals against average cost him his job as the No. 1 goalie, but he has put the past behind him and is heading into training camp full of enthusiasm. He says he is ready to withstand the pressure and intends to reclaim his seat, even if only partially.
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“I judge myself a lot and sometimes you have to let it go. Sometimes it will go very well and sometimes it won’t go the way I wanted. However, I can’t be too hard on myself and keep that passion while still wanting to block every shot without necessarily losing sleep for a week,” Campbell commented to NHL.com on Wednesday.
“I have great people in my life and I am lucky to get to know them and work with them. I’ve worked hard on certain aspects by avoiding over-blaming myself and by just being myself.
A duo that will have a lot to prove
In Edmonton, several observers attributed the club’s playoff failures to irregular performances in front of the net. The Oilers can count on Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl up front, but they need to step up their game defensively and make more key saves to go any further. General manager Ken Holland is aware of the needs and the presence of two solid goaltenders will be a prerequisite for victory.
“Stu has played 28 of the last 32 games [de la saison passée] And if we rely on his end to the campaign, he would probably be in the lead at the start of camp, he admitted. Still, you need two players to get through all 82 games. It’s a league with two goalies and I don’t care who plays the first game. I’m confident we’ll have a great combination.”
To reassure Holland: Both athletes seem to have no problem sharing the net.
“Luckily we get along really well and that always makes things easier, especially in the locker room,” Skinner said. I have been skating with “Soup” for the last two weeks and he is in good shape. We have good competition on and off the ice, we drink our morning coffee and talk about some topics. The relationship is close and we look forward to fighting each other.”