The biggest surprise of the Edmonton Oilers’ young season: the play of Owen Michaels. The 24-year-old American, whom the Oilers signed in April after he finished his final season at Western Michigan and then extended in July with a two-year contract worth $900,000 annually, has scored twice in the team’s last two games. Michaels earned a spot on the Oilers’ opening-night roster after a strong training camp and benefited from an opportunity to crack the NHL lineup amid a rash of injuries – particularly to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jason Dickinson, who had been pegged for second- and third-line centre duties when camp started. Superstar Oilers captain Connor McDavid said it’s “impressive how he’s come in and done everything that’s asked of him.” “He’s a guy who’s going to work defensively from his net out to get into this league,” McDavid said after Oilers practice Tuesday at Edmonton’s Downtown Community Arena. “Obviously, he’s done that and scored a couple of goals along the way.” Those goals have also come with increased ice time. “He’s competed hard. He’s worked hard,” head coach Mike Babcock said. “To be that good for that long, you got to have passion for the game and share yourself with people. He’s done that.” Michaels, the team captain and Frozen Four MVP of the NCAA Broncos squad that won the 2025 U.S. college hockey championship, is a right-handed shot who drew attention during the preseason for his prowess in the faceoff circle and his ability to get to the right spots on the ice. Rest assured An unusual feature of the Oilers’ upcoming road trip, which begins Wednesday in Anaheim, is the amount of downtime between games. The Oilers are currently in the midst of a three-day break from game action. After facing the Ducks, they’ll have two days off before returning to the ice Saturday against the host San Jose Sharks. They’ll then get another two-day break before facing the Los Angeles Kings. McDavid called the trip “unique” and a good opportunity for team bonding. “We have lots of time to get together and get familiar with each other,” he said. “We already are, but we get to get on the road and spend some time together and enjoy that thing but (the California stops are) big games, obviously, divisional games, and we want to make sure that we’re ready to roll.” The Oilers will wear their alternate uniforms during all three California stops, accounting for three of the jersey’s eight scheduled appearances this season.
