Sportsnet Analyst Mark Spector reported today that the Oilers have laid everything out in the open and all options can be taken seriously. This includes drastic measures, such as finding a new head coach.
Spector is right on the money here. The question remains though, will the Oilers fire Woodcroft? It is hard to blame the poor goaltending on him. One could point to defensive structures and all that, but at the end of the day, both goalies have been terrible. In fact, they've been so bad that the Oilers are also considering moving on from Jack Campbell, who still has three years left on his contract after this one.
Campbell's struggles this season have been truly special. His 1-4 record is obviously bad, but nothing too out of the ordinary. His goals-against-average and save percentage tell a much worse version of the same story. Among goaltenders that have played at least four games, Campbell's 4.5 GAA is only better than two other goalies. One of them is Mackenzie Blackwood, who has started the majority of San Jose's games and has been arguably their best player despite his 4.78 GAA. That's how bad that team is.
Using the same parameters, Campbell's save percentage ranks 56th in the league. Quite simply, he is not an option at the NHL level anymore. At the very least, he is not an option in the NHL right now. Spector noted this in his reporting.
