The Edmonton Oilers made some additions to their forward group in the offseason. Most of the changes happened within their depth, with one of those signings being Mathieu Joseph. The 29-year-old was looking for a new home, and it seemed like Edmonton would be a great fit. Joseph is a player who is known for his speed, which is easily one of the main factors in Edmonton’s game. Coming into the season, expectations were pretty low for Joseph. Be a good fourth-liner, and that will be that. However, Joseph has really blended well with the Oilers since he joined and has five points and 30 hits in 11 games. If this kind of play keeps up, he may become a multi-year player in Oil Country.
Joseph’s journey to Edmonton
Joseph has had an all-but-smooth journey to becoming an Oiler. Looking back at the start, he was a great player in the QMJHL. From there, the Tampa Bay Lightning selected him in the fourth round of the 2015 NHL Draft. Once he finished his time in junior hockey, Joseph spent one full season at the AHL level before he became a depth piece on the Lightning. In his rookie season, he stood out fairly well. The forward recorded 13 goals and 26 points, which still stands as his second-best season in the NHL to this point.
For parts of five seasons, Joseph was with the Lightning organization. He spent more time in the AHL and was never as productive as he was in his rookie season, but he did win the Stanley Cup in 2021. Near the trade deadline of 2022, Joseph was dealt to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Nick Paul. The forward spent parts of three seasons as a Senator before he was dealt to the St. Louis Blues in the summer of 2024. This was when things got a little messy for Joseph.
The Quebec native really struggled to fit in after his time in Ottawa. He spent just a year and a half with the Blues before he was released. Then, the Los Angeles Kings signed him very late in the 2025–26 season (in March) to help provide some stability going into the playoffs. Through 14 games with the Kings, in the regular season and playoffs, Joseph failed to record a single point and seemed to be losing hope at the NHL level. Thankfully, the Oilers decided to give him a chance, which could have been his last at this level and to this point, Joseph has found his game.
Opportunity and speed have been key
I think that part of the reason why Joseph has fit in so well in Edmonton is that he has gotten a fair opportunity. He is already playing on the third line, which would never have happened anywhere else. He absolutely deserves that after having such a strong start on the fourth line. It shows that Edmonton has given him a chance to grow.
Joseph’s main strength is speed. This has been a main factor in Edmonton’s game ever since Connor McDavid joined the team. Plenty of speedy depth forwards have found success in Edmonton. Some of the most recent ones include Connor Brown, Dylan Holloway, and even Mattias Janmark, who has had his important moments as an Oiler. All of these players brought a new level of speed in the bottom of the lineup that was usually absent in years prior. Joseph has done the exact same thing, along with providing some extra physicality.
Oilers fans have seen how a player like Kasperi Kapanen found his strong game again after coming to Edmonton. At this point, he is a mainstay in the lineup who gets top-six minutes. I am not saying that Joseph will be that successful, but it is still a strong sign to see him play well early on. Hopefully, Joseph continues to be a strong factor in the bottom-six throughout the entire season.
Worth a contract extension?
Even though it is really early, Stan Bowman could consider looking early into a contract extension for Joseph. He is an affordable depth forward who is currently on a one-year deal worth $1M. Joseph has never been signed to a long-term deal making big-time money, so he likely would sign a team-friendly extension.
The Oilers’ depth will be in question going into next offseason. Upcoming UFA’s include Kapanen, Janmark, Jones, Formenton, Hallander, and Joseph. It is highly unlikely that all of these forwards will be needed again next year. The only priority to sign would be Kapanen, with Joseph being a potential secondary option. Janmark’s time will definitely be done as an Oiler, and I do not like having Formenton on the team. I would not be surprised if Jones and Hallander test free agency.
It is still crazy early, so there is still a lot for Joseph to prove. It would be nice to see the forward finally find a long-term home considering the fact that he has played for five teams by age 29. His first impression as an Oiler has been good, with back-to-back goals against the Mammoth and Wild. He also had a three-game point streak, which was snapped in the last game against the Hurricanes. Going forward, Joseph is one of the depth forwards the Oilers should be monitoring closely.
What do you think of Joseph so far?
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