Buffalo Sabres: 3 reasons signing Jack Campbell would make no sense

Potential goaltender controversy

The absolute last thing the Buffalo Sabres need is a goaltender controversy, and signing Campbell may invoke one. How? It’s because when Campbell is healthy, he is without a doubt one of the game’s best goaltenders. Before the All-Star break, he logged a 2.02 GAA and a 0.933 save percentage.

But again, the guy has proven time and again that he is injury-prone. So now the what-if game comes into play. What if Luukkonen performs the way he did in Buffalo during his cameo last season and stays healthy? Now what happens if Adams just paid Campbell a ransom to come to the Queen City and winds up on injured reserve?

What if Luukkonen’s injuries and inconsistencies continue while Campbell remains injury-prone but plays well when healthy? Yet what if Devon Levi signs and plays like he did at Northeastern this past season?

Signing a potential franchise goaltender like Jack Campbell, even if he’s on the wrong side of 30, can easily spark a goaltender controversy. And regardless of the sport, perpetual controversies rarely end well. That said, it’s best the Sabres stick to their original plan, sign a bridge goaltender, see if anyone in their system is the future, and avoid this high-risk, yet potentially highly-rewarding goaltender.

Not that signing Campbell will be a mistake. But he can easily disrupt the franchise’s plans at the position. It’s best to err on the side of caution and avoid a potential fiasco. Even if Campbell evolves into a full-time starter.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)