Jack Campbell, Tristan Jarry, and the Goalie Gamble That Still Haunts Edmonton
When the Edmonton Oilers signed Jack Campbell to a five-year, $25 million deal back in 2022, it was a move that raised eyebrows across the league-and not without reason. The Oilers had swung and missed on Jacob Markstrom, and in the aftermath, GM Ken Holland turned to Campbell, banking on a relatively small sample size and hoping it would translate into long-term stability in net.
But from the start, the fit just wasn’t there.
Campbell’s time in Edmonton never quite clicked, and by the 2023-24 season, the wheels had fully come off. He went 1-4-0 with a bloated 4.50 goals-against average, a stat line that tells only part of the story.
His confidence looked shaken, his positioning inconsistent, and his timing just a step off. Eventually, the Oilers sent him down to the AHL-a tough pill for any veteran to swallow-and by June 30, 2024, they bought out his contract, freeing up cap space and resetting their goaltending plans once again.
Toronto’s Mirage
The Oilers weren’t alone in thinking Campbell could be the answer. His stretch with the Toronto Maple Leafs had all the markings of a breakout.
He came out of the gate in 2020-21 with an 11-0-0 run, setting an NHL record for most wins to start a season. And in 2021-22, he was solid over 49 games: a 31-9-6 record, 2.64 GAA, and a .914 save percentage.
On paper, that’s starter material.
But context matters. Toronto’s system and structure played to Campbell’s strengths.
In Edmonton, the environment was different-faster, looser, and more reliant on goaltenders to bail out breakdowns. That’s where Campbell struggled to adapt.
Enter Tristan Jarry: A Familiar Puzzle
Fast forward to this season, and the Oilers once again found themselves reevaluating their crease. Stuart Skinner, who had shown flashes of promise, wasn’t delivering the consistency needed. So, in December, Edmonton made another move, bringing in Tristan Jarry from Pittsburgh-a goaltender with a strong resume but a history of injuries that made the gamble feel all too familiar.
Jarry, like Campbell, is a big-bodied goalie (6-foot-4, 201 pounds) with the raw tools to succeed. And like Campbell, he’s shown he can play at a high level when everything around him is clicking.
The difference? When Jarry is locked in, he has a game-stealing gear that few netminders possess.
The question is whether Edmonton can create the conditions for that version of Jarry to show up consistently.
So far, it’s been a mixed bag. Injuries have already crept in, and while Jarry has had moments, the Oilers still haven’t found that night-to-night dependability in net. And in a system where stars like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are driving the offense, any weakness on the back end gets exposed in a hurry.
The Goalie Conundrum in Edmonton
What the Oilers are learning-again-is that goaltending isn’t just about stats. It’s about fit, timing, and mental toughness.
Campbell had the tools but couldn’t find the rhythm. Jarry has the pedigree, but the Oilers need to support him the right way: with minutes, trust, and a defensive structure that complements his game.
This isn’t just about replacing one goalie with another. It’s about avoiding the same mistakes.
If Edmonton can give Jarry what Campbell never had-a system that fits and a runway to build confidence-then this could still work. But if not, the franchise risks watching history repeat itself.
For a team with championship aspirations and a generational core in its prime, the margin for error is razor-thin. And in Edmonton, the crease remains the biggest question mark.