Harsh buyout penalty for Jack Campbell will force the Oilers into a big decision

Jack Campbell has been an interesting story this season, as he was a year off of a new $5M contract for 5 years, and his first two of those years has of course been abysmal. Ken Holland has put himself in a very rough position here, as there aren't many options for what to do with a contract no team wants to touch. Right now Campbell is of course in the minors, trying to get his game back to form, but with poor performances from Campbell but better performances for the team, it is obvious that the cap space would be used better elsewhere. This ushers in the idea of a buyout- a way to have access to some instant cap space, which may be their only option left.

Buying out Campbell gives the Oilers some significant cap space in a few seasons, but still puts the Oilers in a terrible spot in the first few where the salary penalty is greater, and the team still has to spend on a replacement for him. The Oilers seem to be leaning towards buying Campbell out, but with this financial penalty and the need to acquire a goalie in his place might make the team consider a trade no matter the cost.

This is what the scheme for a Jack Campbell buyout looks like, which seems to be looking more and more beneficial for the Oilers as the season goes on. Campbell continues to look shaky with Bakersfield as he fights for the starting job in the minors, and as the Oilers continue to excel and push themselves into a spot where they may want to have cap available to help them in the playoffs. If they buyout Campbell they have just over 5M in cap space, and the impact of that cannot be underestimated. It'll be interesting to see what Holland does with the contract, and what tricks the oilers will do to free up money in the future.