Edmonton Oilers Have Found Hidden Gem in Owen Michaels

Owen Michaels is living proof that offensive totals don’t tell the whole story when it comes to a player. Not much was made of the fact that the Edmonton Oilers signed the undrafted college free agent last spring. It felt like more of an organizational depth signing than anything else, as the 24-year-old had a modest 13 goals and 26 points in 39 games as a junior for Michigan State University.

Those totals suggested that Michaels had a very slim chance of developing into an NHLer, let alone making the Oilers’ opening night roster. That is why many fans had to quickly look him up to see where he came from after it had been confirmed he had made the team. While there may have initially been some questions from the fan base, it’s already becoming quite clear why Michaels has indeed been able to carve out a role on this Oilers squad.

Michaels Excelling in All Areas

As suggested by his college totals from last season, Michaels is by no means a player that’s going to make a name for himself as a prolific point producer. Players in similar boats need to make sure their attention to detail is superb, and Michaels has absolutely mastered that.

Through his first three NHL games, Michaels has played a depth role, averaging less than 12 minutes of ice time. When thrown on the ice, however, he has provided the Oilers with nothing but solid minutes. He’s seemingly never out of position in the defensive zone, has great details, and, for good measure, has already scored two goals. Perhaps most important of all, his teammates are fully aware of what he’s provided so far.

Following the Oilers’ first win of the season against the Vancouver Canucks, Connor McDavid rewarded the rookie forward with the player-of-the-game award. It was an excellent recognition of a player who is doing everything in his power to gain the trust of head coach Mike Babcock. So far, so good in that regard.