6 Edmonton Oilers players who have been better than expected
The Edmonton Oilers are off to a good start for a change.
It certainly didn’t seem like a 7-1-1 start to the season was in the cards with all the early injuries. Edmonton has been without its entire second line in just about every game, with Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Matt Savoie all missing time.
All those injuries had people expecting the Oilers to struggle out of the gate, but they haven’t. Instead, the team has found success through a red-hot top line led by Connor McDavid, solid goaltending from Devon Levi, and a revamped defensive structure that shuts down the opposition.
That is the funny thing about expectations: they can change on a dime, and that is true for a handful of Oilers players who have exceeded expectations through nine games.
Who are those players? Let’s delve a bit deeper into six who have been better than expected early on…
1. Connor McDavid
Kirby Lee/Imagn Images
2026-27 stats: 6 G, 20 A, 26 PTS, 9 GP
It seems impossible that a player like McDavid could be better than expected, but be honest, did anybody see him scoring at an over 200-point pace?
The Oilers captain has absolutely torched the league throughout the first nine games of the season and is now on pace to break Wayne Gretzky’s single-season point record. He also just became the fastest player to hit 20 assists.
Everybody knows McDavid is the best player on the planet, but it’s not a stretch to say that nobody could’ve expected him to be this good.
2. Vasily Podkolzin
Perry Nelson/Imagn Images
2026-27 stats: 7 G, 5 A, 12 PTS, 9 GP
Vasily Podkolzin may have been known for his hard-working style of play, but he’s become a goal-scoring machine to start the new season.
The 25-year-old Russian is off to a red-hot start and is near the top of the NHL leaderboards in goals early on. It helps that he’s been playing with McDavid and Draisaitl to start the season, but it takes a certain type of player to have success with those two superstars.
Podkolzin showed signs of a breakout last season, notching 19 goals and having a great playoff series against the Ducks, but it’s a surprise to see how dominant he’s been so quickly this season.
3. Evan Bouchard
Stephen R. Sylvanie/Imagn Images
2026-27 stats: 7 G, 11 A, 18 PTS, 9 GP
The bar felt pretty high for Evan Bouchard to exceed expectations, but here we are.
Being in the Norris conversation wouldn’t have been a surprise; he finished fourth in voting and led all defencemen in scoring last season with 95 points. Yet, he has found a way to be even better this time around, showing that last year wasn’t a fluke.
Through seven games, he is tied for second with Nathan MacKinnon in league scoring. Bouchard has also improved his defensive play ten-fold, possessing some of the best on-ice metrics among all defencemen this year. He’s been the best all-around defender in the NHL.
If it weren’t for McDavid, he may have been an early candidate for the Hart Trophy; he’s been that good.
4. Mathieu Joseph
Perry Nelson/Imagn Images
2026-27 stats: 2 G, 3 A, 5PTS, 9GP
Mathieu Joseph has been a sneaky good addition for the Oilers.
There wasn’t much discussion when Edmonton inked him to a cheap one-year contract this past summer. He was expected to be a bottom-of-the-lineup player who would fill the role previously occupied by Curtis Lazar. Overall, there wasn’t much to expect from him, but he’s been better than advertised.
Joseph has brought a ton of speed into the bottom-six and has been scoring at a decent clip as well. He’s starting to become a much more valuable depth piece than advertised, and it has helped Edmonton withstand a litany of injuries.
5. Devon Levi
Perry Nelson/Imagn Images
2026-27 stats: 5-1-0, .898 SV%, +0.6 GSAx
The Oilers have been desperate for a goalie who can simply tread water, but Devon Levi has found a way to thrive between the pipes.
Outside of a rocky debut, the 24-year-old Levi has been lights out for the Oilers and has taken over the starting job from Tristan Jarry. Acquiring him seemed like a risk from GM Stan Bowman, as he hadn’t played an NHL game in nearly two seasons, but it’s paying off early.
Levi has posted an incredible .931 save percentage in his last five games and is giving Oilers fans the goaltending that they’ve been craving for years.
6. Owen Michaels
Bob Frid/Imagn Images
2026-27 stats: 2 G, 2 A, 4 PTS, 9 GP
Owen Michaels wasn’t expected to sniff the NHL this season, but he’s growing into an important player with the Oilers.
The 24-year-old rookie impressed enough in training camp to earn a spot on the NHL squad, and he’s proven to be an effective depth player. He’s centred what should become Edmonton’s fourth line with Joseph and Alex Formenton, a trio that has fallen into Mike Babcock’s good graces early on.
He’s especially impressive in the faceoff circle with a 49.2% win percentage, and is starting to become a staple on the PK.
Michaels hasn’t been perfect, but considering he was expected to be in the AHL this season, you can’t help but be impressed with his play so far.