12/15: The Red Wings organization announced they’ve returned Campbell to their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. The roster move likely means Talbot will be healthy enough to return to the lineup before Detroit takes on the Philadelphia Flyers on December 18th.
12/13: With Cam Talbot re-aggravating his injury in practice today and Alex Lyon still not ready to return, the Red Wings need a second goalie for their game tomorrow against Toronto. Rather than bringing prospect Sebastian Cossa back up, they’ve elected to go in a different direction; the team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled Jack Campbell from AHL Grand Rapids on an emergency basis.
Detroit signed the 32-year-old to a one-year, one-way deal worth the league minimum in free agency this summer after Edmonton elected to buy out the final three years of his contract back in June, paying him $9MM over the next six years not to play for them. That came on the heels of a disastrous 2023-24 campaign that saw him put up a 4.50 GAA and a .873 SV% in five early-season outings, eventually resulting in him being waived and sent to the minors.
However, Campbell hasn’t played much this season. He entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance program late in the preseason and was away from the team for six weeks. Upon his return, he was immediately waived and after passing through unclaimed, he was sent to the Griffins. Campbell has played in just two games since being sent down, posting a 2.55 GAA and a .919 SV% in those outings.
Ville Husso has been the primary starter for Detroit as of late thanks to the injuries and that’s likely to be the case versus the Maple Leafs rather than Campbell getting the nod against one of his former teams. But rather than pulling Cossa back up so quickly, the Red Wings have opted to give him the steadier minutes with the Griffins, giving Campbell at least a shot at a brief NHL stint until either Talbot or Lyon can return.
They should just put in the zamboni driver if it gets to needing Campbell.
Campbell has to be the definition of PTSD at this juncture. I hope he does well, But I’m not sure I’ll be able to watch.
Soupy and Petry are in competition to get the most pay from teams that don’t want them to play for them!
So your options right now if your Yzerman is:
Husso/Campbell
Husso/ Cossa
Campbell/Cossa
Why not give the “steadier minutes” to Cossa ? How much worse could it be?
Cossa is in GR for now, getting steadier minutes. Lyon should be back soon, but not soon enough.
Plenty of teams have been looking at goalies. I think SY is trying to find someone interested in acquiring one of ours. Not sure anyone will be interested in any of our overpaid lot. It seems this stockpile was always about making a trade.
This is a joke.
So Campbell was a 4+ GA, then went into the assistance program, now just out and two games under his belt and they want to put him into an NHL game back up? Why not let Campbell get the AHL minutes and let Cossa do NHL back up? Who’d a thunk, Hossa would become the best of available goalies?
They say you build a team from the goalie outwards. By the same logic do you lose a team from the goalie outwards?
Toronto must be happier than clams at the beach waiting for the Wings to dish 2 more points to them.
Getting to feel a little bit like the “Harkness darkness” days.
People are forgetting Campbell’s really good seasons weren’t all that long ago. I remember when he was on top of his game and he was very good
These things are all irresistible forces for all hockey players regardless of past performance. Some manage to avoid a couple but never avoid all 3.
1) Life events (including poor coaching) that change player’s mental state
2) Injuries that limit or remove the physical edge they once had.
3) Age, some can delay onset of effects, but it is ultimately inescapable.