The Pittsburgh Penguins could find themselves facing a goaltending dilemma following Tristan Jarry’s injury on Tuesday night. It’s not clear how serious his issue is after he was bumped in the crease by Adam Henrique of the Anaheim Ducks, but if his injury is serious, the Penguins don’t exactly have a strong Plan B. Alex Nedeljkovic is on LTIR and their go-to guy if Jarry can’t go is Magnus Hellberg, who has all of 25 games on his NHL resume.
One suggestion gaining traction is exploring the waiver wire. And, it just so happens, a former player for Kyle Dubas hit the waiver wire on Tuesday. It feels like a long-shot that the Penguins would target Jack Campbell, but stranger things have happened. He was recently placed on waivers by the Edmonton Oilers and the Oilers would seemingly be happy to let another team take him off of their hands.
Nick Horwat of The Hockey News raised the possibility, noting that Penguins’ GM Kyle Dubas has a history with Campbell, having extracted strong performances from him in the past. Campbell’s previous success, including a remarkable 17-3-2 record with a .921 save percentage in 2020-21, makes him an intriguing option, despite his challenging start to the current season.
From a financial perspective, the move makes sense. If the Penguins place Jarry on long-term injured reserve, they can free up $5.375 million in salary cap space, while Campbell’s contract sits at $5 million. The comparable price tags add viability to the solution.
Campbell Would Still Be a Huge Risk for the Penguins
While it might make sense on paper, there is a significant hurdle to consider. As Horwat points out, once Jarry and goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic return, the Penguins would have to clear the necessary cap space to bring them back onto the roster. That would mean either trading one of them, or sending Campbell back through waivers again, potentially to the AHL. If they can’t trade Campbell, and he clears waivers, the team would still be on the hook for $4.85 million against the cap for a player not on the NHL roster.
Yes, an option like Campbell provides a temporary fix for the Penguins’ goaltending needs if Jarry’s issue is serious, but the team must carefully weigh the long-term implications. Campbell’s struggles this season underscore the fact that this move has serious risks attached.
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