Oilers' stars can't cover Jack Campbell's flaws

For all of Edmonton's offensive weapons, the Oilers need Jack Campbell to start performing like a $25M goaltender or give the starting gloves to backup goaltender Stuart Skinner.

Video Transcript

- Remembering Campbell on the list last year, like seeing those quotes, it's just like it's the same thing when it comes to him. A lot of it is his confidence. And he's so hard on himself. And I think--

JULIAN MCKENZIE: Yes.

- And the contract that he has makes it worse. Like last year, he was just making one point, whatever. He was a backup turned starter or turned starter to an extent. But even though, it's still supposed to be like a 10 situation.

But like now, he's signed to a big contract, brought in Edmonton to be the person. And he's not making the saves. And the coach is playing the kid in front of him on like hockey night in Canada and stuff.

Now granted, well deserved. He's not been playing well. But like it's just not-- He just needs to find his mojo. He just needs to find it.

But it just sucks, because Edmonton's at a point now where the best players look even better, somehow. I don't know freaking how, man. Freaking video game looking ass, Connor McDavid. So freaking sick.

He just needs some time. And I wouldn't be surprised if it continues, if he takes like a break, if they like they give Stuart Skinner the net. And then, they call someone else up, and just give him some time to just reset, recharge somewhere.

Because right now, and especially, again, in a market like Edmonton, where hey man, like if you're scoring a whole bunch of goals, and they're still going in, and McDavid, and Draisaitl, and the rest, that can only do so much. He has to figure it out. And it's either, do we try to get it to work with the person we literally brought in to do that job? Or do we rely on the kid that a lot of that some people, Avery included, were saying, hey, just give them the net anyway? So they need to find they need to find some way to rectify this

AVERY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: They're going to have to though, but through Skinner. He is someone who-- he's proven that you know what? He can be the goalie of the future, if that is the franchise decision. He's come in now in the eight games he's played.

He's got a-- I'm sorry five he's played, 2.1 goals against average. And he looked good in what he's played. He's a bigger goaltender. He's battled against, had the chances-- in a game against Calgary. There were a lot of high danger chances that games got.

And Skinner stood strong to the challenge. And watching him, watching his play develop in junior, in NHL Bakersfield Condors, and seeing him now, like his development as an NHL goaltender, is beyond impressive. But right now, it's only-- it's early November.

Am I hitting the panic button, right now on year one of the five year deal in year one in November? No, but I do agree that something has to change. It can't continue the way it's going down this road, because Ken Hall and the company did bring in Jack Campbell, the number one guy. They didn't bring Jack Campbell in to lose his job to Stuart Skinner, who I still like.

- Yeah. And he's not making freaking' give Stuart Skinner the net money. Like you gotta. Ya have to make it work. Either that, or you got to move them.