(Vancouver) Edmonton Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft hopes his team understands the message behind sending goaltender Jack Campbell to the American League.
“The message sent is that we [avons une fiche de] 2-8-1, Woodcroft said Wednesday after practice at the University of British Columbia’s Winter Sports Centre. We cannot keep repeating the same thing. It’s not acceptable. »
“Unfortunately for Jack, who has character and is a very good teammate, he is one of the pieces that is forced to move. It’s not funny. We had some good times, but there weren’t enough. We are looking for solutions. In my experience over 20 years, the real solutions are usually found before our eyes. »
The Oilers, who are second-to-last in the Western Conference, announced Tuesday that Campbell was placed on waivers. He went unclaimed and was therefore traded to the Bakersfield Condors on Wednesday. Goalkeeper Calvin Pickard went the opposite way.
Campbell, 31, is playing the second season of his five-year, US$25 million contract. He is 1-4-0, with an average of 4.5 goals per game and a save percentage of .873 in five outings for the Oilers since the start of the campaign.
The Oilers will face the Sharks in San Jose on Thursday. The California club won its first game of the season 2-1 on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Left winger Zach Hyman is a good friend of Campbell’s, but he understands what the Oilers’ staff tells the players.
“When you lose a guy like that, it’s a shame,” said Hyman, who is second on the Oilers with four goals and 10 points. I think this is a wake-up call to the group that our standards need to be better. Collectively, as a group, we need to be better.
“When you lose, things happen. The management is trying to create something in the group. »
The Oilers have lost seven of their last eight games, including a 6-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Monday. During that stretch, they were outscored 34-19, allowing at least four or more goals five times.
Edmonton’s roster, which boasts two of the NHL’s best players in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, is 31e in the league in goals scored (29) and goals allowed (47) heading into Wednesday’s games.
Expectations were high entering the season after the team won over 100 games the last two seasons before losing in the playoffs to the eventual Stanley Cup champions.
Forward Evander Kane suggested Campbell wasn’t the only one to blame for the Oilers’ woes.
“We let him down,” said Kane, who had three goals and nine points. “Soupy”, despite the numbers, played incredibly well for us. »
“Are there any goals he would like to see again? Of course. There have been a ton of games as a group that we’d like to see again. I know he wants to come back here and we want him to come back here. We have to start performing. »
Campbell’s departure puts Stuart Skinner in the number 1 goalkeeper role, even if he is having trouble himself. He boasts a 1-4-1 record, a 3.99 GAA and a .856 save percentage. He gave the Canucks six goals on 36 shots.
Woodcroft saw positives at the start of the game against the Canucks. His team scored the first goal and led 21-8 in shots at the end of the first period, even though they trailed 3-1.
“I see some signs, but it’s time to put something in place here,” he said. The players know they are accountable. They accept it. The coaches know this and accept it too. »