Owen Michaels: Everything You Need to Know About New Oilers Signing – Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers have been active in the free agent market, as NCAA players look to decide where to sign if they want to make the jump to the professional level, and Owen Michaels was someone many teams were interested in signing, but he ended up signing a one-year contract with the Oilers.
I #Oil they signed @WMUHockeyOwen Michaels has received a one-year contract starting this season! ✍️ Read more about the striker ⤵️https://t.co/K1ksct3A9A
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 2, 2026
Michaels joined the Oilers immediately and will stay with them for the remainder of the season, as he is ineligible to be sent to the American Hockey League (AHL) according to PuckPedia.
Related: Oilers News & Rumors: Michaels, Dach, Berezkin & More
Jason Gregor said Michaels could sign a new deal in the summer, but the current one-year deal made sure the Oilers got Michaels.
Michaels’ Playing Career So Far
Michaels, 23 years old, played the last three seasons with the Western Michigan University Broncos. This season, he scored 13 goals and added 13 assists for 26 points in 39 games. In the 2023-24 season, he had seven points in 38 games. In the 2024–25 season, he scored 18 goals and added 18 assists for 36 points in 42 games.
Prior to joining the Broncos, Michaels spent time in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Dubuque Fighting Saints, where he scored 15 goals and added 11 assists for 26 points in 46 games. In the 2020–21 and 2021–22 seasons, Michaels played for the Bismarck Bobcats of the North American Hockey League (NAHL), where he had 53 points in 91 total games.
In the 2024-25 season, Michaels was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team and also won the Most Valuable Player (MVP). His team was also named National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) and NCAA Champions.
Michaels’ style of play
Michaels’ offensive production doesn’t stand out to any scout or fan, but he’s been called a clutch player who doesn’t panic in big moments. His leadership was recognized and praised by his coaching staff, and while his team was unable to win another championship, Michaels was named captain and remained a successful team moving forward.
Michaels has been described as a detail-oriented, hard-working forward who plays hard on both ends of the ice. He probably won’t be an offensive dynamo at the pro level, but if he can translate his defensive game and stay dedicated to the details, his game should translate well to the NHL.
With the Broncos, Michaels was trusted in any situation. Even power, power play, penalty kill, and he was one of the most trusted centers, where he posted a 58.9 percent win rate in the faceoff circle.
As mentioned, Michaels’ offensive production isn’t stellar, but his clutch style does stand out, with four of his 13 goals this season coming as game-winners. His shooting is solid, his ability to find open ice and get to the right spots is good, and his ability to finish when given the opportunity is strong.
He probably projects as a middle-of-the-six forward who can kill penalties and provide deep scoring with the Oilers. Fans will love his style of play, as he is willing to finish hits, block shots, and do the work that other players are not willing to do.
This is a low-risk, high-reward signing for the Oilers, and if it pans out, it could be one of the tightest NCAA signings in recent history.
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