Mathieu Joseph has wasted no time making himself useful in Edmonton.
A decade into his NHL career, the 29-year-old forward is already shaping the Oilers’ third line into something more stable. On Thursday morning, even after getting off the ice, Joseph was still in the room talking through the details with linemates Alex Formenton and Owen Michaels as the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes prepared to visit.
That kind of constant check-in fits the role Joseph has carved out early this season. He’s the veteran presence on a line built around younger, thinner NHL experience, and he’s leaning into it. Joseph has two goals and five points through 10 games, production that has him tracking toward a career-high 42 points.
“I think I have a little more experience than these two,” Joseph told Offside in an exclusive interview on Thursday. “I think they’re both very, very good hockey players… Hopefully they can learn a little bit from my experience.
“We’re all trying to do the same thing and be a good fit for the team and help the team win… I’m trying to bring my experience to that line.”
The Oilers asked Joseph to bring speed to the bottom six and help on the penalty kill, but he’s made clear that his approach starts with the details away from the puck. In camp, he said he’d “work his balls off” wherever the coaches wanted him, and that attitude appears to have earned him a steady spot.
He’s been on that third line for almost the entire season so far, and the early chemistry has shown up in the numbers and on the ice. Joseph says the group is still building.
“It’s fun to have a little bit of reps together. It takes time to get going with the same guys sometimes,” Joseph said.
“I’m just trying to have an impact in the game. I just want to be good on the walls and be reliable on both sides of the ice.
“I feel if our line does our job defensively it gives a chance for our team to win every night.”
Still, he’s not treating the hot start like a finished product. Joseph knows there’s more to squeeze out of his game, especially in his own end.
“You can’t get to the playoffs in the first three weeks of the season,” Joseph said. “I think I’ve been good in the d-zone, but I think I can be better… I think if I play good defence, I’ll create some turnovers, and I can use my speed with [Formenton] and [Michaels] and we can create some stuff.
“If you lose, then you watch the tape and get better. If you win, you watch the tape and get better.”
That mindset has meshed with what the coaching staff is trying to build. One of last season’s frustrations was the lack of a clearly defined job for depth players, and Joseph says Mike Babcock’s arrival has changed that dynamic.
“I really like the communication that he’s been having with players,” Joseph said. “He’s a very passionate coach, and I feel like he’s fair. You do what he’s asked for, and you play in his system, and you’ll get rewarded.
“He tries to find a role for everybody, and he knows everybody is important. I think he treats everyone with a lot of respect. I’ve liked working for him and with him so far.”
Joseph also said his time with DJ Smith and the LA Kings last season helped shape his decision to sign in Edmonton.
For the Oilers, that’s the kind of buy-in they need from the bottom of the lineup. For Joseph, it’s about doing the job he was brought in to do - and doing it well enough that the work never really stops.
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