The Oilers May Be About to Learn Something Important

The Edmonton Oilers didn't bring Devon Levi to town simply to give him a nice tour of the facilities. They acquired the 24-year-old goaltender in July because they needed another option in the crease. Now, rather unexpectedly, Levi has been handed a pretty good opportunity to show what he can do.

Levi will make his Oilers preseason debut Tuesday against the Winnipeg Jets, and the timing is interesting. Frederik Andersen will miss the rest of training camp, which means Levi’s audition suddenly has a little more meaning than it did a week ago.

Levi Gets His Oilers Opportunity.

Levi spent most of last season in the AHL with Rochester, where he put together a respectable campaign. In 52 regular-season appearances, he posted a 23-20-9 record, a 2.83 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage, along with three shutouts. Those numbers are respectable, but hardly spectacular. Still, different contexts make a ton of difference. Goaltending is a funny business. Sometimes a goalie needs the right opportunity, the right environment and a chance to settle into a role.

That's what makes tonight interesting. Could Levi show he’s the real deal? He isn't being asked to prove he belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame. The Oilers are asking him to show the organization that they can trust him when they need him. That's a different test, and probably a more useful one at this stage of the season.

This Could Be About More Than One Preseason Game.

A larger issue is also hiding behind this preseason start. The Oilers have plenty of talent in front of their goaltenders, but that talent doesn't make the position any less important. Every team would like to know it has a goaltender who can step into a difficult game and give the club a chance to win. Edmonton now has a chance to learn more about Levi before the games start counting.

And that's probably the best way to look at Tuesday's game. A preseason start can be just that. Or it can be an audition that changes how a coaching staff thinks about its options. Levi gets the net against Winnipeg. He gets a chance to make some saves, get comfortable in his new surroundings, and, perhaps most importantly, make the Oilers wonder whether there is a little more there than they expected.

For a 24-year-old goaltender trying to establish himself, that's a great opportunity.