The Edmonton Oilers have added another intriguing college pickup, and Owen Michaels stands out for one simple reason: he’s a right-handed center. That alone makes him unusual enough to get noticed in camp, especially on a roster that doesn’t exactly overflow with players who fit that mold.
Michaels is not walking into training camp with a realistic shot at opening night. Still, he’s the kind of player who can carve out a path if things develop the right way. The projection here is that he could end up playing NHL games in 2026-27, and the appeal starts with what he already produced in college: 31 goals, 31 assists and 62 points over his final 81 games.
That doesn’t put him in the same category as Shawn Horcoff, who finished his Michigan State run with 26-76-102 in his final 81 college games, but Michaels has enough in his game to matter. Corey Pronman of The Athletic called him “a good-sized center who skates well and works hard at both ends. He’s not the most natural scorer you’ll ever see, but he has enough pure skill and sense in his game to have a chance to get points at the next level and provide off-puck value.”
That kind of profile matters for Edmonton because right-handed centers who can kill penalties and handle checking work are hard to find. The Oilers could bring in Curtis Lazar today and send him down, but that kind of stopgap only solves a short-term problem. Michaels offers something different: a player with a chance to grow into a bottom-six center role who can chip in offensively while handling defensive responsibilities.
The one clear concern is foot speed, which could keep him away from a top-line or feature role in the NHL. Even so, the belief here is that he still has a path to a pro career, possibly a fairly quick one. Pronman’s view on the skating carries weight, even if not everyone sees the speed the same way.
There’s still uncertainty in all of this. The Oilers also have to sort through other young names, and even players like Quinn Hutson and Josh Samanski come with their own questions about whether they can handle NHL pace.
So the evaluation of Michaels is not clean or simple. He’s a player worth watching, not a finished answer.
At his best, Michaels could become a rugged right-handed center who forechecks, wins draws and kills penalties. At the other end of the range, he could end up finding his career outside the NHL. The bet here is that Edmonton gives him a look sooner rather than later, with a chance coming somewhere in the next 18 months.
In Other News...
Oilers Linked To Proven Scorer As One Big Question Looms
Chris Kreider is one of the more familiar names still sitting in the free-agent pool as the 2026-27 season approaches, and his profile makes him an obvious fit for a team like Edmonton. At 35, he brings the kind of veteran scoring touch and NHL experience that can still matter in a top-heavy lineup, especially for a club that is always trying to squeeze more offense out of every dollar it spends.
The catch, of course, is the money. Edmonton does not have much cap room to work with, so any pursuit would almost certainly hinge on a creative arrangement rather than a straightforward contract, even after Kreiders recent offensive production showed he can still help a contender. For the Oilers, the appeal is clear, but the real question is whether the fit can be made to work without forcing out other plans. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Are Betting On One Risky Fix For A Lingering Problem
The Oilers added Alex Formenton on a one-year deal, taking a swing on a player whose NHL career has been on hold since 2022. Edmonton is clearly betting theres still enough in his profile to help, especially with a team that has been searching for more reliable penalty-killing options and could use another forward who can handle those minutes.
Formentons appeal is straightforward enough, even if the uncertainty around him is not. He has the kind of short-handed track record that can draw a team in, but his recent run in the Swiss National League did not look like NHL-level production, and the Oilers will have to see whether a season back in a familiar structure can get him closer to his old form. For both sides, this is less a finished answer than a test of whether a once-promising piece can still fit where Edmonton needs help most. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Blue-Line Newcomer Could Force A Tough Roster Decision
The Oilers brought in Shakir Mukhamadullin as part of the Darnell Nurse deal, and the young defenseman now finds himself in the middle of a roster battle that could shape the back end heading into the new season. Edmonton signed him to a two-year contract, and the fit is obvious enough: he gives the club another left-shot option with some upside, while also adding a player whose style and track record suggest he is still very much in the proving-it stage.
Mukhamadullin is in the mix for one of the final spots on defense, which is where the decision gets interesting for Edmonton. He is not just trying to make the team, he is trying to separate himself from the other options competing for that sixth or seventh job, and the Oilers will have to decide whether his long-term potential outweighs the safer choices already in the picture. [Read more 🡒]