The Edmonton Oilers woke up Friday to some unwelcome news. Devon Levi, who had established himself as the clear starter in the Edmonton crease over the first month of the season, was placed on injured reserve after missing practice.
Matt Tomkins has now been recalled from AHL Bakersfield under emergency conditions to back up Tristan Jarry, who started in Saturday’s 7–2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Oilers expected to have more update on Devon Levi soon
The nature of the injury has not been disclosed and Mike Babcock did not offer a timeline for Levi’s return when he spoke to reporters Friday.
“We should have it, but I haven’t talked to our trainers yet,” he said.
The fact that Levi finished Thursday’s 6–5 shootout win over the Carolina Hurricanes, stopping 27 shots, made the news something of a surprise. Whatever happened, it appears to have occurred either late in the game or in the aftermath because he was fine enough to play through it.
Whether that is a sign the injury is minor or simply that it was not yet apparent remains to be seen.
Levi had taken over the starting job and was playing his best hockey
Through seven starts this season Devon Levi posted a 6–1–0 record, a 3.11 goals-against average and an .887 save percentage. He was acquired from Buffalo in July after spending the entire 2025–26 season in the AHL, and settling into an NHL crease mid-career rebuild with a new team is not quite seamless.
The more telling sign was that he had clearly earned the confidence of the coaching staff and was getting the bulk of the starts in what has been an impressive run for this team. Even captain Connor McDavid had stressed the need for the entire team to be able to deliver on the same level as Levi every night.
That run has the Oilers sitting atop the Western Conference at 8–1–1, which at least softens the timing of this a little.
Tristan Jarry has been a fair option this season
A year ago, the Oilers found themselves in a similar position when Connor Ingram had to step up from the backup role after an injury to Jarry. Even after Jarry’s return, Ingram kept the starting job, having proved himself the clear choice over the former Penguins goalie’s poor numbers.
This season’s Jarry, though, is a meaningfully different proposition. He is 2–0–1 with a 2.97 goals-against average and an .873 save percentage in three starts this season. While those numbers still trail Levi’s, he is a legitimate NHL goaltender with playoff experience.
Babcock had already named Jarry for Saturday’s game against the Leafs before the Levi situation became news, so there is continuity there. His last start came on October 17 in Salt Lake City, roughly a week ago, so he is definitely not coming in completely cold.
Call-up Matt Tomkins has six NHL games to his name
I guess the real question mark is behind Jarry. Matt Tomkins is a 32-year-old who appeared in six NHL games with Tampa Bay in 2023–24 and has spent the seasons since in the AHL.
He has been solid for Bakersfield this year with a 2.40 goals-against average and .909 save percentage through three starts, but he is not someone the Oilers would want to lean on at the NHL level for any extended stretch. In a best-case scenario, he is here for a game or two as a backup.
Frederik Andersen remains on injured reserve as well and is not yet ready to return. His presence in the building has already been noted, most notably by Levi himself, who earlier this season credited Andersen with helping him through the early turbulence of the year. Right now though, Andersen is not a solution on the ice.
Do the Oilers need to outsource a replacement now?
It would be premature to start talking about long-term fixes when the Oilers do not yet know what is wrong with their starter or how long he will be out. If this is a short-term issue, Jarry seems more than capable of carrying the load for a week or two, though fans wouldn’t want to see a repetition of his last season disaster anytime soon.
And if it turns out to be something more serious, then the question of whether Edmonton needs to look outside the organization becomes a real one. The Oilers are in first place and playing well enough that a prolonged absence from their best goaltender would be a genuine test of what this group is made of beyond the top-six.
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