The Oilers, Owen Michaels, and the Players We Often Miss

I'm starting to think Owen Michaels might be one of those hockey players we don’t notice until we suddenly wonder how we missed him. That's always interested me about an NHL player. The Edmonton Oilers signed Michaels last spring as an undrafted college free agent. He was 24 years old and coming off a season at Michigan State in which he scored 13 goals and 26 points in 39 games.

Those aren't exactly the numbers that make you sit up in your chair. No one rushed to put his name on an NHL jersey. It looked like a depth signing. Maybe he'd get a look somewhere down the road. Instead, Michaels made the Oilers' opening-night roster. Now, after three games, I'm wondering if there is a bigger story here than whether he can score a few goals.

How do we recognize an NHL hockey player from one who won’t make it?

Michaels isn't being asked to be Connor McDavid. He's averaging less than 12 minutes a game. But when he gets those minutes, he seems to understand what he's supposed to do. He's in the right places. He wins faceoffs. He plays physically. He doesn't seem to give the puck away in dangerous spots. And, somehow, he's already scored twice.

Mike Babcock has noticed. After the Oilers' win over Seattle, Babcock called Michaels a player with confidence and swagger and praised the details in his game. He also admitted, rather wonderfully, that he wasn't sure how Edmonton ended up with him but that the Oilers were lucky to have him. That's pretty good feedback for a guy who wasn't drafted.

Michaels’ captain, Connor McDavid, noticed, too.

After the win over Vancouver, McDavid gave Michaels the player-of-the-game award. I like that. Because that answers my secondary question: Can a player have a breakthrough season without becoming a star?

We tend to use “breakout” to mean 20 goals, 50 points, or suddenly playing 18 minutes a night. But maybe Michaels' breakthrough is something quieter. Maybe he becomes a player his coach trusts. Maybe his teammates know exactly what they'll get from him. Maybe when somebody is injured, the coach looks down the bench and thinks, Put Michaels out there.

That is a pretty important NHL skill.

The Oilers are down some players. It’s good to have Michaels in the lineup.

The Oilers are missing some significant players right now, which has given Michaels an opportunity. But opportunities are funny things. They only become careers if a player is ready for them. Michaels appears to have been ready.

And maybe that's why I like this little story. Hockey is full of players who score lots of goals. It's also full of players who understand how to play. Every once in a while, the second group gets its chance to be noticed.

Maybe Owen Michaels is one of those players.