When I made my draft preview I predicted that the Stars would pick Jack Campbell. I didn't have any inside information on the matter. I looked at it from the perspective of "Jack Campbell is considered an elite goalie, and when the Stars pick he will probably have the highest ceiling of anyone available".
What I didn't anticipate was the falling of Cam Fowler and Brandon Gormley. I have been a big proponent of not drafting for need. You never know how a player will develop, or what holes your roster will have when the player is ready, so draft the guy you think will end up as the best player. Based on unanimous pre-draft rankings, Cam Fowler and Brandon Gormley were both better prospects than Jack Campbell.
Rumors began spreading this morning that the Stars were locked into Jack Campbell. It made some sense, and I still think the idea of picking Jack Campbell is a solid idea. What no one expected was for two of the three best defenders in the draft class to both be sitting available at pick number 11. When asked about the pick tonight, Nieuwendyk had the following to say:
Our guys have loved this guy from the start and we just said if he was available at No. 11, we couldn't let him go. We viewed this, that after Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin (the first two picks), Jack Campbell had the next best chance to be a franchise player.''
Again, I'm fine with the logic in taking Jack Campbell. I think he can be an elite goalie. He's an American entering the franchise which produced the most productive American player in the history of the sport, and could eventually step in to be the face of the franchise. What jumps out to me about the quote is this:
We just said if he was available at No. 11, we couldn't let him go.
Basically, unless Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin dropped to 11, Campbell would've been the pick. I truly find it hard to believe that Dallas had Campbell rated higher than Cam Fowler or Brandon Gormley, but I don't think it's completely outrageous. Nieuwendyk has repeatedly defended his defense in the press, and, while he doesn't seem content with it, I think he doesn't think either guy is enough of an upgrade to pass on the potential of Jack Campbell.
He better be right. Moves like this are the type that can torpedo management careers. The Stars had a glaring need, and appeared to have their choice of the top two defenders in the draft gift wrapped to them. They chose to go another direction, and it could work out. The reality that Dmitri Kulikov and Cam Fowler could be Stars teammates is a tough pill to swallow though regardless of the potential of Glennie and Campbell.
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Now that I'm done disrespecting Jack Campbell let's move on to praising him.
I really do like Jack. I think he is an exceptional goalie prospect. He has proven that he can handle pressure, and in several interviews I've read he has consistently said he loves to be in pressure situations. There are goalies in each draft with the physical tools to be starting NHL goalies. Several of those could be stars. What those goalies generally miss is the drive to be great. They lack the competitive fire to strive to the best. The intangibles for Jack Campbell are off the charts.
NHL Fanhouse put up a post detailing the list of goalies taken in the top 15 of the draft since 1970. The list certainly isn't pretty, but most of the guys taken who failed had some significant drawback. What drawbacks does Campbell have? The biggest criticism he's received is that he can be too aggressive, and sometimes rely on athleticism too much. That's it? This kid has the makings of a star, and he could be one of the best players to come out of this draft.
Below is the night in quotes:
Bob McKenzie
"Campbell is, by all accounts, an incredible teammate with character and leadership and game-stealing capabilities, the traits scouts look for in a franchise-type netminder. It's said he's off-the-scale confident but not cocky and he works as hard in practice to shut out teammates as he does in a game and that he's a goal-oriented individual who will settle for nothing less than being a dominant goalie at the NHL level."
Hockeysfuture:
"Very good technique and exceptionally confident. Campbell is a big-game goalie."
Windsor Spitfires GM Warren Rychel:
"Jack Campbell is the best goaltender in the world not currently playing in the NHL".
Windsor Spitfires head coach Bob Boughner
"Jack is just glowing with character and leadership qualities," Boughner said. "I think he has a very good chance at coming in here and being the Canadian Hockey League goalie of the year as a rookie".
To end your night of Jack Campbell adoration check out this
interview and this
feature by Wysh at Yahoo.
For a final thought, give Campbell a chance. I know it's frustrating to see Fowler and Gormley go by the wayside, but Campbell is an excellent prospect in his own right. Give him a chance before you pan the pick. He's going to be around for a long time.
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