Toronto Maple Leafs: 5 Storylines of Success This Past Season
Jack Campbell
Toronto’s management struggling to find a dependable backup goalie became a story embedded into the fabric of this franchise in recent years.
Since 2017, in a span of only three years, the Maple Leafs have seen eight different goalies come through their locker room to try and fill that void.
Jhonas Enroth, Antoine Bibeau, Calvin Pickard, Curtis McElhinney, Garret Sparks, Kasimir Kaskisuo, and Michael Hutchinson all had a shot at the role. Some with more attempts than others, but nonetheless they all got into Toronto’s crease.
McElhinney is the only one on that list to earn a winning record with the team. He was put on waivers to make room for Sparks to have his chance, but we all know how that worked out.
After Hutchinson was acquired from the Flordia Panthers in December 2018, he was given plenty of opportunity to impress. But going 6-12-1 throughout just over a year with the team wasn’t going to cut it.
On February 5, 2020, the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Jack Campbell from the Los Angeles Kings. He has been in the league for five years, mostly behind Jonathan Quick on Kings teams that didn’t see much success. Yet, he still found a way to put up decent numbers.
As jaded as Toronto’s fanbase had become regarding the backup conversation, it was understandable if they were simply waiting for Campbell to be another case of a squandered opportunity.
That quickly changed once fans got to see him play, as he won his first game in a Maple Leafs sweater and in front of a home crowd only a couple of days after joining the team.
Campbell went on to earn a record of 3-2-1 with a .915 save percentage and 2.63 goals against average this season in Toronto.
| Goal | Goal | Goal | Goal | Goal | Goal | Goal | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Tm | GP | W | L | T/O | SV% | GAA | SO |
| 19-20 | TOR | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | .915 | 2.63 | 0 |
Provided by Hockey-Reference.com: View Original Table
Jack Campbell brings a much-needed sense of security to a backup role that this organization has required for far too long. Signed until the end of 2021-22, fans can breathe with some relief for at least the next couple of seasons knowing that he’s there to help.