Devon Levi keeps giving the Oilers exactly what they need.
In Edmonton’s overtime win last night, the netminder picked up his fifth victory of the young 2026-27 season while stopping 27 of 30 shots from the Minnesota Wild. That came out to a 0.900 save percentage, and none of the three goals he allowed were the kind of easy finish that lets a goalie off the hook. Levi held the game together through regulation, and that gave Evan Bouchard the opening to finish it off in overtime on his 27th birthday.
That’s been the pattern with Levi so far: whatever the night asks for, he’s usually handling it better than the goalie across from him. And in hockey, that’s the whole job.
Sometimes the margin is tiny in a tight 1-1 battle; other nights it’s about surviving a wild, high-scoring mess. Levi has kept finding ways to come out ahead.
His first start of the season wasn’t pretty. He finished with a 0.682 save percentage, a number that looks rough on its own. But Kevin Lankinen was at 0.600, and that was enough to tilt the game Edmonton’s way.
Then Levi ran into Philipp Grubauer, who stopped 23 of 25 Oilers shots for a 0.920 save percentage. That kind of performance would normally win a lot of games, but Levi answered with a 0.950 and grabbed his second win.
The strong work kept coming. He shook off a couple early goals against and posted a 0.935 in Edmonton’s win over the Anaheim Ducks, a game the Oilers used to avenge their playoff defeat. After that, he was even sharper against the LA Kings, stopping a huge volume of shots and finishing at 0.975 in a game the Oilers probably should have lost.
The one setback came against the Utah Mammoth. That was a tight game, with shots tied 20-20, and the difference ended up being Edmonton’s failure to cash in on several power plays. Levi would likely have wanted one or two more stops, and the .875 save percentage wasn’t his best showing, but it was hardly a night where either side was overwhelmed.
What stands out now is that Mike Babcock kept giving him another look, including this week against another dangerous opponent, and Levi responded with another win. He doesn’t look rattled by who’s shooting at him, and if he keeps stacking up numbers like these, the Oilers may have a real decision to make when Frederik Andersen comes back from injury. It’s also the kind of run that could leave the Buffalo Sabres wishing they hadn’t moved him for such a small return.
In Other News...
Oilers Keep Finding Big Moments And Fans Have Another Reason To Believe
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Connor McDavid was once again at the center of it all with three assists, keeping the offense humming while the Oilers found yet another way to get a result. The team has built a habit of delivering in big moments lately, and this latest win added another layer to the growing sense that Edmonton is finding its stride when the pressure rises. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Are Winning In A Way Fans Arent Used To
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Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are still driving the conversation, of course, but the bigger story may be how the group has responded to the standards being set under new head coach Mike Babcock. For a fan base that has spent years waiting for the team to look organized and dangerous at the same time, this opening stretch has offered a version of the Oilers that is winning with structure as much as star power, even if the full test of that approach is still to come. [Read more 🡒]
Nugent-Hopkins Return Creates A Big Oilers Top-Six Decision
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is finally set to rejoin the lineup, giving Edmonton its first real top-six shuffle of the season after he missed the opening stretch with an undisclosed injury. Mike Babcock confirmed the veteran forward will make his season debut against the Carolina Hurricanes, and the timing matters for a team that has already had to patch together its forward combinations without one of its most dependable playmakers.
The biggest question now is where Nugent-Hopkins fits once the puck drops. Edmonton is expected to use him in a prominent second-line role, and the ripple effect could be felt throughout the forward group as the staff sorts out the best mix around him. With the Oilers trying to settle into a rhythm early, his return adds needed stability, but it also forces a lineup decision that could reshape the balance of the entire top six. [Read more 🡒]