The Edmonton Oilers have experienced a roller coaster pair of games to open the 2026-27 NHL campaign, both high-scoring affairs against the divisional rival Vancouver Canucks.
They were defeated 6-5 in overtime in their first contest, followed by a wild 9-7 win in the rematch. While the Oilers have had no problem scoring goals so far, their main concern once again is the difficulty in keeping the puck out of their own net.
They’re right back at it against another divisional rival on Saturday evening, and head coach Mike Babcock has announced who will start in goal.
The Edmonton Oilers Announced Devon Levi Will Start In Goal Against the Divisional Rival Kraken
The Oilers have confirmed that Devon Levi, who allowed all seven goals in their 9-7 win over the Canucks, will get the start between the pipes on Saturday evening against the Kraken.
“Devon Levi starts for the Edmonton Oilers vs the Seattle Kraken,” wrote Oilers analyst Bob Stauffer on X, formerly known as Twitter.
During their opening 6-5 OT loss to the Canucks, it was Tristan Jarry who got the start, allowing all six tallies.
Immediately, fans began chiming in with their reactions to the coaching decision.
“Wow Levi genuinely played awful I can’t believe they’re being this harsh with Jarry,” this fan said.
Another fan wrote, “Jarry really is on a short leash, huh?”
“Wow! Really expected Jarry,” exclaimed another fan.
Oilers Goaltender Devon Levi Made His First Start On Thursday
While their defense and goaltending have proven to be an issue through the early goings of the season, Babcock pointed to the most obvious positive – they’ve collected three of a possible four points in the standings.
“We got three out of a possible four points and we’ve got tons of examples where we gotta get better,” Babcock said. “We gotta learn how to play a whole 60, not just 30.”
“The reality is we won the game…We did a lot of things that were really positive,” he continued. “We want to build off those positive things, and we want to come prepared to play. We have a good team in here. It’s a big game for us. It’s in our building. We want to play well.”
Right now, the Oilers’ goaltending depth chart is comprised of Jarry and Levi thanks to the injury to offseason acquisition Frederik Andersen, who isn’t expected to be available until December with an injury.
Oilers Announce Goaltending Decision For Divisional Clash