Mike Babcock has only just gotten his hands on the Oilers, and already he appears to be reading the room in a way that might not be obvious from the outside. That’s part of the fun - and part of the challenge - with a team like Edmonton. You can think you understand what’s going on, but until a coach is actually inside the walls, the picture stays incomplete.
There’s a long history of that here. Jay Woodcroft saw something in Vincent Desharnais in 2022 that wasn’t immediately obvious to everyone else, keeping him on the roster until Desharnais proved he belonged in the NHL.
Craig MacTavish did something similar back in the fall of 2000, when he quickly preferred Shawn Horcoff over Mike Comrie because he believed Horcoff could handle a more complete game. Both players ended up in the Oilers’ lineup that season, but MacTavish trusted Horcoff in the hard minutes, and Horcoff eventually became the captain.
Babcock may be seeing a similar kind of value in camp this year.
On Owen Michaels, Babcock was blunt: “Michaels is beyond smart. Skates elite.
He’s in all the good clips every night. I mean, it’s not what we thought coming in.
I can tell you that. But what are you going to do?
They decide, not me.”
Michaels has not exactly been the obvious name to track, but he’s now in the conversation as a real middle option, helped by the fact that he’s the only right-handed center in the mix. He still might not crack the Oilers - Josh Samanski remains the better bet, in my view - but Jason Dickinson’s injury has opened up more room for roster battles heading into opening night.
That injury also changes the temperature around the waiver wire. The Oilers placed Josh Brown on waivers yesterday, along with Riley Stillman and Eduards Tralmaks. More cuts are expected over the weekend, and the center market becomes worth watching if Dickinson is expected to miss time.
And then there’s the big tactical question: do the Oilers separate Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl? With so little proven help down the middle after Dickinson’s injury, it would make sense not to overload them together.
It would also be foolish to do it. Still, foolish and impossible are not the same thing.
In Other News...
Red Wings Face Growing Pressure In Dylan Larkin Trade Talks
Carson Soucys professional tryout with the Columbus Blue Jackets is starting to look less like a camp storyline and more like a practical solution, with injuries thinning out the defense and coach Rick Bowness already praising what he has seen. Around the league, the rumor mill is busy in a few different directions, from Kirill Marchenkos name coming up in connection with the Toronto Maple Leafs to Edmonton showing interest in Kirby Dach, a reminder that front offices are still sorting through options while camps get underway.
For the Oilers, the Dach chatter is the one to watch because it fits a team that is still looking for another move-up-the-middle possibility, even as the market remains fluid. And while Detroit is drawing plenty of attention in its own Dylan Larkin trade talks, with multiple teams involved and some offers already turned away, Edmontons pursuit of help at center could end up being shaped as much by how those talks evolve as by anything the Oilers can do on their own. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Opening Night Roster Battle Just Sent A Clear Message
The Oilers opening-night roster picture is already taking shape, and the clearest early winner from camp has been Owen Michaels. Edmonton kept Michaels with the NHL group for the season opener after he outperformed expectations in camp and showed the kind of dependable two-way game that coaches trust when the games start to count. It is another sign that this roster is still being sorted with performance and injuries both shaping the conversation.
Josh Samanski, meanwhile, is headed to Bakersfield as the Oilers continue trimming the group and setting roles for the start of the season. Dave Babcock pointed to the areas Samanski still has to clean up before he can work his way back, with the organization looking for more consistency in the defensive end and at key detail spots that matter in close games. The move leaves Edmonton with a clearer sense of who has earned the first chance, even as the bottom of the roster remains very much a work in progress. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Final Cuts Leave Fans Watching One Opening Night Choice
The Oilers have trimmed their group down to 23 players for the season opener against the Vancouver Canucks, and the final roster decisions came with a few clues about how the coaching staff sees the first night unfolding. Edmonton also laid out its expected forward and defensive pairings, giving fans a clearer picture of the lineup shape as the regular season gets underway.
There was movement at the edges of the roster, with Josh Samanski heading to Bakersfield in the AHL while Owen Michaels remains with the club for opening night. Mike Babcock also confirmed the goaltending plan for the opener, adding another layer to a roster picture that now looks set, even if a few of the choices at the margins will keep drawing attention until puck drop. [Read more 🡒]