Red Wings Share Major Goaltending Update Days Before NHL Season

The Atlantic Division is one of the NHL's most competitive divisions and the Detroit Red Wings are in the thick of it all. Surrounded by some of the league's best teams, the Red Wings haven't made the playoffs since 2016 and will try to end that drought after making several offseason moves, including the addition of goaltender Jack Campbell .

Campbell made his Red Wings debut in a preseason game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sept. 30, however, not much has been heard about him since then.

After days of speculation, fans received an update on Friday.

"Jack Campbell has entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistant Program," NHL insider Chris Johnston reported on Friday afternoon . "(He) will be away from the Red Wings for an indefinite period of time."

The NHLPA released an official statement on their public relations page , stating that Campbell can rejoin the Devils "when cleared for on-ice competition by the program administrators." There's no indication of how long that could be, though.

The last few years have been a rocky road for Campbell, to say the least. The former No. 11 overall pick in 2010 went from competing for the Toronto Maple Leafs' starting goaltender job a few seasons ago to having the final three years of his $25 million contract bought out by the Edmonton Oilers in June.

Hopefully, Campbell returns to form whenever he makes his way back to the Red Wings. Although the ex-NHL All-Star goaltender boasted a solid 22-13-4 record in his two seasons (41 games) with the Oilers, his .886 save percentage and 3.53 goals-against average left much to be desired.

In the meantime, the goaltending trio of Cam Talbot, Alex Lyon and Ville Husso will handle Detroit's puck-stopping duties. The Red Wings will make their regular season debut when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins at Little Caesars Arena on Thursday.

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