Oilers announce another forward signing as Stan Bowman finally wakes up

Owen Michaels gives Mike Babcock another young forward to sort through as the Oilers lock in one of college hockey's biggest winners.

Edmonton re-signed Michaels to a 2-year contract with a $900,000 AAV, a small-money move that still says something about how this front office views its depth chart. The Oilers are keeping him in the mix instead of letting that spring signing drift.

That matters because Michaels is not coming off empty college hype. He arrived from Western Michigan after 119 games, 33 goals and 33 assists, giving Edmonton a player with a long enough track record to earn another look.

He also wasn't just another body on a strong program. Michaels wore the captain's letter and finished last season with 13 goals and 13 assists before turning pro.

The bigger selling point is what he did when the lights got hot. Michaels was named the Frozen Four's Most Outstanding Player after helping drive Western Michigan to its first national title.

That run is what keeps this signing interesting. He scored 2 goals in the semifinal against Denver, including the winner, then added 2 more in the championship game against Boston University.

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Oilers add yet another forward and Stan Bowman is finally making moves

Babcock now gets another right-shot forward to evaluate at camp, and that's where this really shifts from press release to roster story. Edmonton has been stacking low-cost bets early this summer, not just headline moves.

The Oilers have already been active on that front, with a wave of July signings and trades reshaping the edges of the roster. Michaels lands in a crowded fight where every bottom-six opening will have traffic.

That's why this contract is worth more than the dollar figure. It gives Edmonton time to see whether his college pace, net-drive and big-game touch can carry over once the game gets heavier and the space disappears.

He's also 1 of those players whose path doesn't need to start on a top line to matter. A winger who can survive down the lineup, handle a forecheck and stay useful away from the puck gets noticed fast by a new coach.

Stan Bowman and the Oilers are clearly giving themselves options instead of overfilling the roster with aging placeholders. This is a development bet with a short runway and a real opening if Michaels pushes.

That doesn't mean he's penciled into opening night. It means Edmonton liked enough of the package to keep him under team control and let him fight for more than an AHL assignment.

For Michaels, the next step is simple. Turn a college title surge into a real pro case, and force Babcock to make the decision tougher than expected.

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