Jack Campbell is the gift that all Leafs fans deserve
Jack Campbell is one of the hottest topics in Leafs Nation these past few months. Don't let this long layoff fool you, Jack is on all of our minds. Can the Leafs re-sign him? Were his injury problems last year a fluke? Can we win with a somewhat unproven goaltender? Is he the most likeable Leaf of all time? And finally, as my colleague stated this time last week, JACK CAMPBELL SHOULD BE THE FIRST GOALIE TO WIN THE LADY BYNG TROPHY.
Where do we begin when answering all of these important questions? I know! YES! The Leafs can re-sign him. Yes, the injuries were largely a fluke - as injuries are. Yes, the Leafs can win it all with Soupy (see Jordan Binnington). Yes, he is the most likeable, but you can also make an argument for Jason Spezza and James Reimer. And finally, yes, Jack should win the Lady Byng (shout out, Ben Hodgson). For more on Campbell and the Lady Byng Trophy, click here.
I can build a massive case here and bore you with details and stats. But that's not what I do, and that's not what anyone wants to read. Anybody can google those numbers. All you need is basic eyesight to see this man play. He passes the eye test.
We are coming off of a largely flashy if not inconsistent run from Fredrik Andersen. Look, you can say or think what you want. He stabilized this young team while they found their sealegs. That aside, the fact is that we haven't had actual elite goaltending for a prolonged period - maybe since Ed Belfour was here.
Jack is our first legitimate Vezina Trophy-level goaltender in the high definition era (Ahh the good old days of watching grittier less talented teams play in 340p).
Jack Campbell is the 47th highest paid goalie in the league. Go ahead google it.. blow your own mind. Fundamentally speaking, he is the sharpest goalie I have seen this season. His reaction time is excellent, and I can spot no real weaknesses when he is in the crease. (His puck handling behind the net could be better, but nobody is perfect.. he is close though).
Goalie health is a coin flip at the best of times. Our bodies aren't meant to move like that in giant pads. So ascribing his first season as a leafs goalie and giving him grief over it is unfair. Besides we could always have a Bobrovski, or Price contract (Cap nerds recoil in horror).
Better hockey minds can give you a thorough analysis, that honestly I don't find interesting enough to write. I believe in manifesting positivity, and Jack Campbell's run has the potential to be a great one. And if it's a long one please be under $5.5M a year!
