Ex-Leaf Jack Campbell looking for fresh start with the Red Wings
Former Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program amid issues on and off the ice, as he tried to get his career back on track with the Detroit Red Wings organisation.
Former Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell was bought-out by the Edmonton Oilers this past summer, and signed for the league minimum with the Detroit Red Wings. Campbell is looking for a fresh start after things didn't work out so well for him in Edmonton. Unfortunatley, before he can restart his career with Detroit, Campbell has entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program on Friday, league sources confirm.
Campbell played in parts of three seasons for the Toronto Maple Leafs, from 2019 to 2022. He was the heir apparent to Frederik Andersen. While “Soupy,” as he is affectionately known, played relatively well during his time, Leafs management decided to pass on him in free agency.
According to the Associated Press, the Player Assistance Program offers help" for anything from alcohol or drug abuse to mental health issues, sleeping problems or a gambling addiction."
The Edmonton Oilers signed him to a five-year $25 million deal in the summer of 2022. Sadly, Campbell never got his career on track in Edmonton, prompting the Oilers to send him down to the NHL in November of last season.
The Leafs acquired Campbell at the trade deadline in 2019, hoping to find a stable backup for Andersen. Campbell filled in well enough, eventually getting a shot at the starting goaltender job. Campbell played well in the bubble during the COVID-shortened seasons.
Moreover, the lack of playoff success during the 2021 and 2022 seasons prompted Leafs management to seek more established netminders to take over the crease in Toronto.
Under the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program guidelines, Campbell will be away from hockey for an indefinite amount of time. The reasons for his entering the program are unknown. Hopefully, Soupy can get his life back on track and potentially make a comeback at some point down the road.
Looking back at why the Toronto Maple Leafs passed on Jack Campbell
The reasoning behind why the Toronto Maple Leafs passed on signing Jack Campbell in 2022 is complex. In short, the Leafs felt Campbell’s asking price of $5 million per season was too high. At the time, it was believed the Leafs were more inclined to sign Campbell for $2 to $3 million per season on a much shorter deal.
As my Editor in Leaf colleague Stephen Nixon noted at the time, Campbell’s asking price and inconsistency were too much for the Leafs to handle. So, they let him walk in free agency.
The Leafs eventually traded for Matt Murray and signed Ilya Samsonov. Murray is still with the Leafs hoping to recover his form following hip surgery last season. Meanwhile, Samsonov is now patrolling the crease for the Vegas Golden Knights.
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Personally, I would love to see Soupy back in Toronto. Perhaps he could get another shot at the game with the Marlies. Campbell, being an experienced netminder, could provide some useful insights to young goaltenders coming up through the Leafs system.