Mike Babcock just handed Owen Michaels the one thing every camp long shot craves on a Sunday afternoon: another day in an Oilers sweater.
The Oilers head coach didn't hedge. Michaels wasn't even on the radar entering camp, Babcock said, but the forward just keeps showing up in all the right ways.
"He wins faceoffs, he tracks, he's in the right spot," Babcock said.
"He was the captain of a team that won a national championship," the coach added. "He must know how to play."
That last line is a tell. Coaches rarely quote a kid's résumé when they're already drafting his exit paperwork.
Saturday night offered a real look. He logged 10:56 against the Calgary Flames and finished even, with no points.
Two shots on goal, no blemishes on the scoresheet. For a player nobody circled when camp opened, that kind of quiet night carries weight.
The Oilers bottom six just got a lot more crowded
The long shot actually outskated Trent Frederic, who logged 10:21 in the same 4-1 win.
Colton Dach, Isaac Howard and Alex Formenton all got more rope, with Formenton topping that trio at 12:43.
So what does another day actually buy him?
Vancouver visits Edmonton on Tuesday. The Oilers return the favour Thursday in Vancouver, and two looks at the same opponent in three days is a clean audition window.
It's also a fast way to get exposed, especially against a Canucks group that just edged Seattle 4-3 on Saturday.
The timing helps Michaels. The Oilers have won four straight, and Babcock, hired in June, is still stamping his identity on this group.
Connor McDavid scored the winner Saturday and fired 6 shots. When the stars carry the offence, a coach can afford to audition a depth forward on details.
Here's the catch nobody in Edmonton wants to hear.
Faceoffs and tracking earn a player a sweater in September. Staying power in November usually demands a lot more than that.
It's the hockey version of the temp who learns everyone's coffee order. Liked, useful, and still one budget meeting away from the door.
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Babcock gave Michaels another day. Finding him an actual roster spot falls on Stan Bowman, and the math in that bottom six won't solve itself.
Should the Oilers keep Owen Michaels over Trent Frederic when camp breaks?
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