OilersNation has reported:

Devon Levi has become the Edmonton Oilers’ leading option in goal early this season, starting five of the team’s first eight games as injuries and lineup changes continue. His early performances have encouraged fans, even after the Oilers’ first regulation loss, a Thursday night defeat to the Utah Mammoth.

The Oilers have opened the season well despite the setbacks, with attention often focused on the top line, defenceman Evan Bouchard and Ryan Shea. The goaltending has also become a bright spot, following an offseason in which general manager Stan Bowman made strengthening the crease a priority.

Last season, Edmonton traded Stuart Skinner for Tristan Jarry in a move that seemed necessary at the time. Jarry was injured soon after joining the Oilers and eventually lost the starting job to Connor Ingram. Although Jarry had enjoyed successful stretches in his NHL career, he had not sustained that form, and a return to a place where he had succeeded in junior hockey did not spark the hoped-for turnaround.

The Oilers acquired Levi and a seventh-round draft pick from the Buffalo Sabres on July 1, 2026, in exchange for a third-round pick. He was not widely viewed as a saviour, but the move drew interest because of his record outside the NHL and the possibility that he needed a better opportunity to establish himself.

Levi had played 39 games across three seasons with Buffalo, where he was behind Ukko Pekka-Luukkonen and Alex Lyon on the depth chart and recorded mostly average numbers. His college results with Northeastern University were stronger: he posted goals-against averages of 1.54 and 2.24 and save percentages of .952 and .933 in his two NCAA seasons.

He also went 6-1 at the 2021 World Juniors, recording a 0.75 goals-against average and a .964 save percentage. Levi helped Canada win a silver medal and was named the tournament’s best goalie. With the Sabres’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Rochester Americans, his save percentage was above .900 in each season in which he played games.

Levi and Jarry were pencilled into Edmonton’s lineup early in training camp. The Oilers had also signed Stanley Cup champion Frederik Andersen in the offseason, but a longer-term injury announced over the summer was expected to keep him out until sometime in December. That left Jarry and Levi room to start the season.

Jarry got the opening-night start against the Vancouver Canucks. Like the team around him, he began well, but allowed some easy goals before Edmonton lost in overtime. Coach Mike Babcock then gave Levi the net for the following game.

Levi’s Oilers debut was an unusual one: he allowed seven goals but was on the winning side. Babcock went back to him two nights later against the Seattle Kraken, and Levi stopped all but one shot in a solid victory. Four nights later, he delivered another strong performance against the Anaheim Ducks, then was one of the main reasons Edmonton beat the Los Angeles Kings two games after that.

Against the Mammoth on Thursday, Levi allowed three goals and finished with a save percentage below .900. Those figures appeared ordinary, but the account of the game said he had little chance on Utah’s goals: one came on a follow-up after a partial breakaway, another followed a deft pass during a broken shorthanded play, and the third came after the Oilers were caught sleeping immediately after scoring.

Levi was described as steady despite the goals against. Seattle had sent many shots from the point, requiring him to track the puck through traffic and handle tips and deflections in front of the net. He looked calm, managed rebounds well and sometimes left the crease to play the puck, signs of confidence in the position.

Edmonton’s defensive play has improved after a turbulent opening stretch, helping both goaltenders in recent games. The Oilers are allowing about the same number of shots per game as they did last year, but the quality of those chances has fallen, with fewer high-danger scoring opportunities against. That improvement has also been necessary as injuries thin a forward group that has lost players who contribute goals, leaving Edmonton less able to compensate for defensive mistakes by outscoring opponents.

Jarry has responded with solid recent outings. On Oct. 10, he stopped all but one shot against the San Jose Sharks, and in Saturday night’s game against the Mammoth he recorded a second consecutive performance with a save percentage above .900. He has played three games this season, while Levi has received the other five starts, making Levi the apparent first choice for Babcock so far.

The early split does not mean the Oilers can rely on Levi alone for the season. NHL teams increasingly use more than one goaltender, and an 84-game schedule is demanding. With the position’s physical demands and the speed of the game, the days of a starter playing upwards of 65 games are over, according to the source account. Edmonton will need contributions from Jarry and, once healthy, Andersen as well.

For now, Levi has Babcock’s confidence, but a couple of poor games or several weak goals could reopen the competition. The situation is likely to become more complicated when Andersen returns. He helped the Carolina Hurricanes win the franchise’s second championship last season, although he eventually lost the net to Brandon Bussi, an upstart goaltender.

Andersen is expected to receive an NHL opportunity once healthy and is likely to join the lineup regularly. Whether he plays or serves as a backup will depend on Levi’s and Jarry’s performances. Edmonton cannot send any of the three to its AHL affiliate in Bakersfield without first placing him on waivers, so the team is expected to carry three goalies at first.

Sharing playing time among three goaltenders can make it harder for each to maintain form, so the three-goalie arrangement is expected to be short-lived. Bowman should have a clearer assessment of Jarry and Levi by the time Andersen returns. He could put one of the three on waivers to get him AHL games or look for a trade partner to open a roster spot. The hope is that all three play well enough to make the decision difficult, while competition and Babcock’s willingness to use the goalie with the hot hand push them to perform.

Levi’s start has made him a welcome addition in Edmonton, even with a debut in which he allowed seven goals and still won. The Oilers are expected to keep riding the hot hand, with Jarry ready to take over if Levi falters. Andersen’s return will test how long the current arrangement can last.