According to insider Frank Seravalli, Jack Campbell is the second most likely player to be bought out when this offseason begins.
The Oilers have done their best over the last season to find a taker in trade for Jack Campbell, but that would cost the team real hockey assets to offload his deal. It may be best for the Oilers to take a purely financial hit in buying Campbell instead of paying draft picks and prospects for another team to take him.
Campbell's contract for $5M each season is on the Oilers' books until 2027, and in a competitive window, they can't keep that kind of salary buried in the minors. As Seravalli said, taking the near $3M in cap savings and extended the contract over the next few years makes the most sense for the Oilers.
According to CapFriendly, the buyout period this year will begin in two weeks time, 48 hours after a potential Game 7 of the Cup Final. It's very likely the Oilers buyout Campbell then, and use the cap flexibility to address the team's needs in free agency.
Despite not playing with the team since November of this year, Campbell has still been with the team in the playoffs, there in the room with them during moments like the series win over Dallas.
Since the time he arrived in Edmonton, Campbell seemed to crumble under the weight of expectations of his contract and starter status for a Cup Contender. He was never a true starting goalie, and his confidence was rattled by it terribly. It's unknown if a team would take a risk on the 32 year old goalie as a backup, but next year, it's likely that Campbell plays in the AHL - or his career may be over.
Source: Daily Faceoff
Buyout Candidates in 2024 NHL offseason
POLL | ||
Do you think the Oilers should buyout Jack Campbell? | ||
Yes, buy him out and spend in free agency | 229 | 66.6 % |
No, hold out for a trade | 84 | 24.4 % |
See Results | 31 | 9 % |
List of polls |