Diagnosing Jack Campbell: What’s wrong, and how the Edmonton Oilers can fix him
Jack Campbell is in one. Ten games into his five-year, $25 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers, the 30-year-old from Port Huron, Michigan has an .873 save percentage and a goals-against average well north of 4.00. Yet somehow Campbell has managed to win six of the 10 starts he’s made.
As is the case with any struggling goaltender, I think there are several reasons why Campbell’s play has been lackluster thus far in Oil Country. Some of which are easier to fix than others. But none is impossible.
I wouldn’t bet against Campbell. He’s overcome long odds to get to where he is now. But here are a few areas of his game that need improvement.
ALIGNMENT
Goaltending is all about geometry. A netminder’s shoulders and feet should – in most instances when the play is above the goal line – form an isosceles triangle with the puck. But right now Campbell is struggling with that aspect of his game. His alignment is off, and it’s preventing him from rotating efficiently and getting square to the shot.
Campbell has a nasty habit of moving his right foot forward when he sets his feet. In both instances, the Oilers netminder starts off relatively square to the shooter. But as the Nashville player gets closer, his right foot moves forward.
That leaves Campbell vulnerable to any lateral pass to his blocker side. As you can see from the video, his offset feet make it difficult for Campbell to rotate and arrive square to the shot. Even if it’s a one-timer, Campbell should be able to get his body rotated with the Oilers crest facing the shooter.
When that doesn’t happen, there’s plenty of open net to shoot at. Campbell is only able to seal the ice with his pad and cover a marginal amount of space vertically with his blocker arm. He’s reaching rather than pushing. Ideally, Campbell would arrive on time with his entire chest available to make these saves.
PATIENCE
When Campbell was at his best with the Toronto Maple Leafs, I thought he was really good about staying patient on his edges. But now I see him defaulting to his knees too early. And too often.
Modern goaltending isn’t about if a netminder should drop to the ice. It’s when. And these clips are all examples of when Campbell runs out of patience and drops far in advance of any shot attempt.
Sometimes it’s caused by a screen. Other times it’s a player approaching the net. But the bottom line is that Campbell isn’t making very good reads. And it’s causing him to hit the panic button and drop early.
When you see a goaltender sliding around the crease trying to find the puck, it’s never a good sign. And Campbell has a tendency to push past his posts and abandon the net. That’s a tough combination with a team like Edmonton that doesn’t block many shots and has struggled to tie up sticks in front of its own net.
TRAFFIC
Edmonton hasn’t done Campbell any favors in this department. The Oilers are 20th in the NHL when it comes to blocking shots. But I do think Campbell needs to rethink how he handles traffic.
I could find an excuse for Campbell in every one of these clips. But the problem is the sheer volume of screened shots that have eluded the Edmonton netminder this year. Finding the puck through traffic is a skill. Some goaltenders are better at it than others. And there are several different techniques that can be utilized.
I don’t think Campbell has been active enough in trying to find the shooter’s stick blade. And he has a tendency to get locked into one vantage point. For goaltenders, seeing shots through traffic is all about finding open windows.
In the past few years, NHL goalkeepers have started to play much more upright when traffic is present. They’re looking over shoulders rather than around players whenever possible, which results in better balance and sightlines.
I don’t like blaming goaltenders for goals against when a screen is present. But when it becomes a constant problem, like it has for Campbell, a technical reset is necessary.
EQUIPMENT
Campbell has long had a preference for soft, flexible equipment. He’s been resistant to modernization. And it’s costing him goals against.
Most netminders have opted for velcro attachment points in recent years, but Campbell has remained steadfast in his usage of decidedly old school leather straps. And as you can see when Nazem Kadri beats Campbell low, his pads do a poor job of sealing the five-hole.
It’s because his pads are so flexible. Which also allows pucks to overpower the thigh rise of the pad occasionally. Yet Campbell must feel comfortable in his gear and unwilling to change.
It’s not just soft pads that I think are hurting Campbell. It’s an awareness of one’s own gear. In the first clip, Colin Miller literally shoots a puck through the webbing of Campbell’s glove.
I do think the manufacturer deserves plenty of blame for lacing his glove so loosely. Even though Miller has one of the hardest shots in the NHL, there’s no excuse for an equipment failure of this magnitude.
But ultimately, Campbell’s equipment is his responsibility. And he should be checking it regularly for damage or defective parts. Over time, the webbing of a catch glove can stretch. Campbell should have noticed it and tipped off the Oilers equipment staff.
To me, Campbell’s glove failure is a great example of how in tune hockey players need to be with their equipment. And his old school pads represent an unwillingness to embrace technology.
CONFIDENCE
Body language is the best way to gauge how a goaltender is feeling. And Campbell’s has gotten progressively worse during the 2022-23 season.
These goals look physically painful for Campbell. And everyone sees it. There’s no hiding the disappointment in himself. And I think over time, that’s damaging.
Campbell has looked defeated too often this season for a goaltender that’s won six times out of 10. Has he been perfect? Absolutely not. But the optics of how he reacts to goals against is terrible. It has to change.
Somewhere inside Campbell is the goaltender that dominated the NHL for the first half of the 2021-22 season. He’s been a game-changer before. And I think he still can.
But the clock is ticking. Campbell’s goalie partner, Stuart Skinner, has been rock solid. And he’s gotten a few big starts lately.
One thing I know: don’t bet against Jack Campbell. He’s proven the hockey world wrong on several occasions. Now he has to do it all over again.