New Jersey Devils: 5 Players Tom Fitzgerald Luckily Avoided

Jack Campbell

This one is obvious on multiple fronts. Many had the Devils going all in on the former Toronto Maple Leafs goalie in 2022. He was the best goalie on the market, coming off a few good seasons in the hot bed that was Toronto. However, it was always strange that the Maple Leafs seemed fine letting him go despite not having a replacement plan. It was even more bizarre when Matt Murray became a better option.

The Devils were tied to Campbell, but it became more and more clear it was a bad idea. Campbell had good numbers on the surface, but going deeper showed a player that was more lucky than good. That’s proven itself basically the second he signed his contract with the Edmonton Oilers.

Campbell has been so bad in Edmonton that he’s not even there anymore. He was put on waivers and sent to Bakersfield of the AHL. He’s been bad there, too.

The Devils goalie situation isn’t any better than Edmonton’s, but at least they don’t have to navigate $5 million for a terrible player for three years after this one. Vitek Vanecek was the player the Devils took instead of Campbell, and he’s been fine for the most part. He could be better, but it was clearly a much better move than signing Campbell.