The Edmonton Oilers signed forward Owen Michaels to a one-year entry level contract in April 2026. His deal expired and he was promptly re-signed, inking a new two-year deal that began this season.
He joined the Oilers following a three-year stint with Western Michigan University, where he saw plenty of success from being named captain to scoring the game winning goal en route to an NCAA championship. Michaels was even named to the NCAA all-tournament team and won the most outstanding player award.
Despite his past success to many, the 24 year old was not immediately seen as a high end prospect for the Oilers. Something that is not surprising given the success rate, or lack thereof for NCAA free agents. Regardless, the young forward made an impression on the Oilers coaching staff and he was able to make the team out of camp.
Michaels made the Oilers out of camp
It was clear that the organization saw promise in Michaels, given his history of success and high performance. In addition to this, the fundamental aspects of his game check a lot of boxes that a team covets in a bottom-six two-way forward. That is a large part of why as training camp wore on, it seemed clear that Michaels would at least battle for a spot on the opening night lineup.
He did make it and has now played 20 games into his NHL career. At first, he showed some impressive play as a fourth line forward but as the season has went on, he has been exposed more frequently. He has struggled in all three zones and in all-situations and seems to be in need of more seasoning.
Michaels has struggled this season
Through 20 games this season, Michaels has averaged 12:08 time on ice per game at all situations and has seen that slowly trend downwards. He has not logged more than 10 minutes in any of his last three games. Production wise, he has scored two goals and two assists for four points, putting him on pace for roughly 17 points this season over a full 84-game schedule.
In addition to his low production, Michaels has not been particularly effective on the defensive side of the puck either. He ranks last amongst forwards with a plus/minus of -6. His underlying numbers do not indicate that it is just a product of poor puck luck either. According to evolving-hockey.com he sits last amongst Oilers players in fenwick against per 60 minutes (FA/60), corsi against per 60 (CA/60), and second last in expected goals against per 60 (xGA/60) at 5-on-5.
It does not get better on the penalty kill either, he has logged over 27 minutes short handed this season, averaging over a minute per game played this season. He ranks last in goals against per 60, FA/60, CA/60, and xGA/60 there as well. Despite the relatively small sample size and volatility at special teams, it is not a positive sign that he is consistently caved in at all times.
This is not to kick him while he is down either, many rookies struggle but when you are expected to be relied upon to play such heavy defensive minutes, you should be able to keep your head above water. If he cannot, then he should probably be sent down to the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League for more seasoning.
There, he can adapt to the professional game and play more minutes on a nightly basis, while being put in more advantageous positions to produce offensively as well. Although the Oilers will need to rely on their young players to succeed, the club cannot afford to be used as a development path for a player and need to maximize their lineup on a nightly basis.
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