The Oilers Have Allowed 13 Goals in Two Games and Neither Tristan Jarry Nor Devon Levi Has Earned the Net
By Verdexed NHL Desk
Edmonton has scored 14 goals in two games and still has a crisis. The Oilers beat the Vancouver Canucks 9-7 on Thursday night, but Devon Levi allowed seven goals on 22 shots in his first start for the club, two nights after Tristan Jarry gave up six in a 6-5 overtime loss to the same Canucks in the season opener. With Frederik Andersen sidelined for most of October and two top-six forwards now hurt, Mike Babcock's first weeks behind the Edmonton bench are turning into a stress test.
For fantasy managers, the goaltending question is the one that matters most, and the answer right now is that there is no Oilers goalie worth trusting.
Two games, two goaltending meltdowns
Jarry started the opener at Rogers Place and allowed six goals in a 6-5 overtime loss, despite an Evan Bouchard hat trick. Babcock said afterward that his team had serious work to do.
Levi got the call in Vancouver on Thursday, his first NHL start since January 2025 with Buffalo. Edmonton built a six-goal lead behind Connor McDavid, who had a goal and four assists, and Leon Draisaitl, who added two goals and an assist. Owen Michaels scored his first NHL goal, and Ryan Shea scored his first as an Oiler. Then the Canucks found their game in the third period and Levi could not stop the bleeding, finishing with 15 saves on 22 shots.
Babcock's postgame read was measured. He suggested Levi, new to the team, likely got nervous once the game got away from him, and said that if it were not so early in the season he might be more concerned.
The numbers so far
Here is how Edmonton's two starters have fared through the opening week.
| Goalie | Game | Result | Goals allowed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tristan Jarry | vs. VAN, Sept. 29 | L 6-5 OT | 6 | Bouchard hat trick wasted |
| Devon Levi | at VAN, Oct. 1 | W 9-7 | 7 on 22 shots | First Oilers start |
The crease, explained
Edmonton entered the season with three goaltenders under contract. The Oilers acquired Levi from Buffalo for a 2028 third-round pick and signed Andersen in free agency, while Jarry remained on the roster. Andersen has been ruled out with an injury for most of October, which leaves the job to Jarry and Levi.
Neither has separated. Jarry is trying to steady himself after a rough opener, and Levi is a young netminder trying to win a job on a team that expects to contend. The defensive structure in front of both has been loose, with 13 goals allowed in two games, and that is a coaching problem as much as a goaltending one.
Injuries up front
The Oilers are also missing key forwards. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was placed on injured reserve Wednesday with a lower-body injury sustained in practice Monday. Zach Hyman, who played more than 20 minutes in the opener, sat out Thursday with an upper-body injury he originally suffered in Edmonton's final preseason game. Babcock called Hyman day to day, then joked that day to day probably means two weeks.
Losing a second-line center and a top-line winger forces Babcock to shuffle his lines, and it pushes young players like Michaels into larger roles.
Fantasy fallout
McDavid and Draisaitl are fine. Edmonton's offense is still elite, and a team that gives up goals tends to play in high-event games that pad point totals. Start both every night.
Evan Bouchard is a top-tier fantasy defenseman with a hat trick already, and his power-play role makes him a must-start.
Jarry and Levi should both be benched or dropped in standard leagues. Until one of them strings together a couple of quality starts, neither offers a safe floor in ratios. Levi has the higher long-term upside if he wins the job, which makes him the better speculative hold in deep leagues. Jarry is droppable in most formats.
Hyman managers should plan for a two-week absence and use an IR slot if available. Nugent-Hopkins is already on IR.
Owen Michaels is worth monitoring if he stays in the top nine, but he is not a standard-league add yet.
Betting angle
Edmonton's first two games have produced 27 total goals, and that kind of environment pushes totals up. The Oilers host the Seattle Kraken on Saturday, and the question for bettors is whether the market overcorrects. Two games is a small sample, and Edmonton's defensive play will likely tighten as Babcock's system settles in.
That said, the over remains in play until the goaltending stabilizes. And with the Oilers' offense firing, opposing goalie props and team totals are worth a look as well.
The Verdexed model take
Verdexed's NHL model updates for starting goalies and lineup changes, and Edmonton's crease is the kind of input that moves a game projection. For the model's view on Oilers-Kraken, see the NHL predictions page and the daily NHL picks piece.
What's next
The Oilers host Seattle on Saturday night at Rogers Place. Babcock has not announced his starter, and the choice will tell fantasy managers which goalie has the inside track. Watch Daily Faceoff's confirmed starters on Saturday afternoon before making any lineup decisions, and keep Edmonton skaters in every lineup while avoiding its goaltenders until one of them earns your trust.