Maple Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell will be sidelined for a "minimum of two weeks" with a rib injury, the team announced Thursday.
The cause of the injury is unknown. The 30-year-old goaltender last played on March 8, allowing four goals on 30 shots in the Maple Leafs' 6-4 win over the Kraken. Petr Mrazek will take over as the starting goaltender for the time being while Erik Kallgren will serve as his backup.
After an extremely hot start to the season, Campbell has struggled immensely as of late. He has allowed at least four goals in five straight starts and has given up five goals in seven of his last 15 starts. As a result, his goals against average is up to a 2.65 while his save percentage is down to .914.
The injury might be the reason for Campbell's recent performances. Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Reilly mentioned after the news that Campbell told him he has been "dealing with something for a while now."
Will the Maple Leafs trade for a goaltender?
With Campbell struggling and Mrazek posting average numbers, the Maple Leafs could be goaltender buyers at the deadline. The Leafs have been reported to be interested in acquiring a goaltender, and may be one of the frontrunners in getting Blackhawks goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.
Fleury will be the most sought-after goalie at the deadline. He'll be a free agent this offseason so the Blackhawks likely will want to move him, if Fleury is interested. He has three Stanley Cups under his belt and despite his underwhelming numbers this season in Chicago (2.92 GAA and .908 SV%), he's playing on a bad Blackhawks team.
The Blue Jackets' Joonas Korpisalo, Stars' Braden Holtby and Devils' Mackenzie Blackwood are also goaltenders reported to be on the trade block that the Leafs could acquire.
With the injury to Campbell, this might force general manager Kyle Dubas to have no choice but to make a trade. If Campbell is out at least two weeks, that means he will not return until after the deadline. The Leafs currently sit third in the Atlantic Division with a five-point lead over the Bruins, but the club runs the risk of slipping further without the starting goaltender.
It will be Mrazek's crease for the time being, who is 10-5-0 with a 3.28 GAA and a .890 SV%. However, the need for a goaltender just got amplified and Dubas is running out of time with the deadline less than two weeks away.
