Getting to know the Oilers newest signing, Owen Michaels

The Detroit, Mich. native played his junior hockey in the United States. His rookie season saw him score six goals and 16 points in 46 games with the United States Hockey League’s Lincoln Stars. However, the forward then spent his next two seasons in the North American Hockey League, the USA’s second-tier of junior hockey.

There, he scored three goals and 21 points in 44 games with the Bismarck Bobcats, with a goal and four points in six playoff games. In 2021-22, his total rose to 11 goals and 32 points with 116 penalty minutes in 47 games. For the 2022-23 season, Michael returned to the USHL, playing with the Dubuque Fighting Saints where he scored 15 goals and 26 points in 46 games, with three goals and eight points in five postseason games.

Michaels’ past three seasons have been spent with Western Michigan University. He put up modest totals in his freshman season, scoring two goals and seven points in 38 games. But then he exploded for 18 goals and 36 points in 42 games during the 2024-25 season, helping Western Michigan win their first ever National Championship.

Looking to repeat in this year’s National Tournament, Michael scored 13 goals and 26 points in 39 games, but Western Michigan fell to Denver on Sunday in the regional finals, missing out on the upcoming Frozen Four.

So what are the Oilers getting in Michaels? Well, Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis reported that his skating needs improvement, but is a play-driver and is competitive, as he was Western Michigan’s captain in 2025-26.

With the Oilers’ draft capital being as barren as it is, they’ve made an effort to think outside the box the past two seasons. Michaels is the first of potentially a few players from the NCAA to sign with the team this season, having signed Quinn Hutson and Damien Carfagna toward the end of last season. They’ve also been linked to Michigan forward TJ Hughes.

The Oilers have also turned to Europe to restock their farm system, recently signing Tomáš Cibulka to a two-year entry-level contract. Last year, they signed Josh Samanski, David Tomášek, Atro Leppänen, and Viljami Marjala from overseas.