As the 11th overall selection in the 2010 NHL Draft, there were already hopes that Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Jack Campbell would become one of the top goalies in the NHL, and maybe even represent his country at the Olympics one day. Today, It seems that Campbell has reached that potential and may have a shot at two of those distinctions this very season.
Toronto Maple Leafs Goalie Jack Campbell, at 29 years old, has been in the NHL for parts of 8 seasons – albeit only 7 games in his first three seasons – and besides the single game he played as a rookie in the 2013-14 season, his save percentage has never dipped below .900% (all stats hockeyreference.com)
Now since joining the Maple Leafs in the 2019-20 season, Campbell has only seen him as well as his numbers improve. This season Campbell is boasting a .946 SV%, a 1.46 GAA, along with a record of 12-4-1 – all of which mind you are league-leading. In November alone, Campbell had a SV% of .959%. And yes you read that right.
In regards to the Vezina, if Campbell can keep up anything close to these numbers – these are pretty preposterous numbers to continue at – and be the backstop for a pretty steady Toronto Maple Leafs team, I don’t see any reason why Campbell shouldn’t be in the Vezina conversation.
Looking at other early candidates at this point in the season, we look to Calgary’s Jacob Markstrom, Carolina’s Freddie Andersen (who we all already know too much about … or thought we did), and Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky, among others.
Jack Campbell, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the 2022 US Olympic Team
At the moment, Jack Campbell is obviously performing as one of the elite goaltenders in the NHL, but will he get a shot at the Olympics?
The US already has likely 2 spots on for the crease filled out (health permitting) with Anaheim netminder John Gibson, as well as former Vezina trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck. It remains the third spot that would be up for grabs.
Jack Campbell & John Gibson lead their teams out in Anaheim
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) November 29, 2021
2012 🇺🇸 teammates at the World Juniors … will they be teammates again in Beijing? pic.twitter.com/IyZNBuHP4f
Some in the media say Vancouver’s Thatcher Demko and Florida’s Spencer Knight are two of the better options for the job, but based upon what we’ve seen this season? I don’t think so.
Yes, those guys are likely the future of Team USA goalies for 2026 and beyond, but you don’t go to the Olympics to groom the next guy, you go to the Olympics to win. And if the US wants to have options, they will bring the best men for the job, and I have to say that (right now) the man is Jack Campbell.
Something to keep in mind regardless is that nothing is final until the teams actually go to Beijing. Players can get injured. Players can fall into a gutter and never get out. Heck, the NHL could even pull players from going to the Olympics.
The final US roster is set to be announced in January, and only then will we see if Campbell will feed some soup to the rest of world.