Although things started out rocky, the Edmonton Oilers appear to have found their man between the pipes. At least, for now.
The Oilers outlook in net has been bleak for some time but with the injection of youth in the way of 24 year old Devon Levi, things are starting to look up. However, things are still very far from perfect for a number of reasons.
Oilers crowded crease
Currently, the Oilers are rolling a tandem of the young Levi and veteran goaltender Tristan Jarry with their other newcomer sitting on the sidelines due to injury. 36 year old Frederik Andersen signed a one-year contract in the summer, paying him $1 million in base salary and potentially an additional $1.8 million in performance bonuses. This comes after he won a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes last year, something he hopes to repeat with the Oilers.
The Danish netminder is one of many players currently on the injured list for the Oilers in the early part of the 2026-27 season. At this time, there is no exact timeline on his injury except that it will not be anytime soon.
In his absence, through four games, Levi and Jarry have split the crease three games to one, respectively. This is for good reason, head coach Mike Babcock has mostly allowed the hot hand to ride it out but according to his previous statements, Jarry will come back into the fold against the San Jose Sharks.
In his only game of the year, Jarry has an 0-0-1 record with an overtime loss, that saw him stop just 17 of 23 shots against the Vancouver Canucks. He currently holds a .739 save percentage and a 5.85 goals against average. This followed up his poor stint as an Oiler dating back to last season, where he had a 9-6-2 record and a 3.86 GAA and .858 save percentage in 16 starts.
Levi has been a breath of fresh air
Levi on the other hand, has played well with a 3-0-0 record and a .868 save percentage and 3.35 GAA. Although his stats do not look great, these are largely dragged down by his first start of the season where he had a .682 save percentage but has since followed that up with a .950 and .935 save percentage, respectively.
He has done well in his limited usage, besting competitive teams like the Seattle Kraken and Anaheim Ducks, the latter of which knocked the Oilers out of the playoffs last spring. Being able to put together a solid performance in those circumstances is a good sign.
Levi comes with a lot of hype and the pedigree that makes you believe he can be a star, whether he will be or not. His acquisition by general manager Stan Bowman may not have come at a high asset cost, coming to Edmonton from the Buffalo Sabres along with a 2028 seventh round pick for a 2028 third round pick.
It was a low-cost acquisition that brought a lot of excitement and optimism to the Oilers. Even Bowman himself has tipped his hand when speaking about Levi saying "I think this opportunity is there, and we want him to push and show us he's the guy.” So far, the early returns are looking good.
Add us as a preferred source on Google