Former Penguins Goalie Could Be What the Oilers Need
This former Pittsburgh Penguins goalie was recently traded and could be a less expensive option in net if Jack Campbell stumbles out of the gate in 2023-24.
Barring any unforeseen events, the Edmonton Oilers will enter the 2023-24 season with a goaltending tandem of Stuart Skinner and Jack Campbell. It was a tale of two seasons for the netminders - Skinner putting together a Calder Finalist worthy year and Campbell stumbling out of the gate (despite a winning record).
There is always a chance that an organization decides to change direction by trading a player they had no prior plan to trade. This could become Campbell's fate if he stumbles out of the gate this year. If that happens, trading for current Montreal Canadiens' goaltender Casey DeSmith may provide the team with another capable goaltender at a much lower price tag.
The Case Against DeSmith
DeSmith has been a stable presence in net, except for the 2022-23 season. In 2022-23 he played 38 games - sporting a 3.17 goals against average (GAA) and a .905 save percentage (SV%). Those metrics were much better than Campbell's 3.41 GAA and .888 SV%.
Going against DeSmith is his age and experience. He is almost a full year older than Campbell, but has played one whole season less than him. Campbell has played 171 games to DeSmith's 134. Being a goaltender can wear on the hips and knees more than the skater positions, so Campbell being younger isn't a small thing.
The Case For DeSmith
DeSmith may be older but he has been way more consistent of a performer (outside of the 2022-23 season). Over the three years prior to this last season he had a .914, .912, and a .916 SV%. Over the same span Campbell had .914, .921, and .904 SV%. DeSmith's GAA has also been more consistent (2.79, 2.54 & 2.75) than Campbell's (2.66, 2.15, 2.80).
We see larger differences between the two with Goals Saved Above Average and Really Bad Start percentage. Really Bad Save Percentage (RBS%) is the percentage of the games they have started where they have a save percentage of less than .850. Goals Saved Above Average (GSAA) is the number of goals the netminder saves that is more then the average goaltender in the league.
Again, we see the consistency that DeSmith brings by looking at these two metrics. RBS% for the three years prior to 2022-23 are 15.4, 15, & 8.3. Alternatively, Campbell's is 22.4, 9.1, & 15.4. The final nail in the coffin - GSAA - before 2022-23 DeSmith had a GSAA of 5.24, 1.96 & 7.28. Campbell's were 9.99, 7.82 & -4.51.
Campbell may have greater potential than DeSmith, but DeSmith's consistency could be a tremendous asset to the Oilers. As with any decision, pros and cons need to be assessed to reach a conclusion. If this is a trade that the Oilers could pull off, I don't see why they wouldn't do it. However, Ken Holland has spoken on his satisfaction with the team's goaltending - so don't expect that to change soon.
