- The Oilers placed goaltender Devon Levi on injured reserve
- Matt Tomkins was recalled from Bakersfield under emergency conditions
- Read below for what the move means for Edmonton’s crease
Devon Levi is officially on injured reserve.
The Oilers announced Friday that Levi was placed on IR and that goaltender Matt Tomkins was recalled from the Bakersfield Condors under emergency conditions. The team still hasn’t said what the injury is.
The move follows Mike Babcock’s update earlier in the day that Levi would miss Saturday’s game against the Maple Leafs. We covered that report after Babcock spoke to the media. Here’s the original update from practice:
Tristan Jarry gets the start Saturday, and Tomkins slides in as his backup. The 32-year-old has played eight AHL seasons with a 59-57-19 record, a .903 save percentage and a 2.89 goals-against average. He has six career NHL games to his name.
Levi had taken over as the No. 1 option, going 6-1-0 with a 3.11 GAA and an .887 save percentage through seven games. Edmonton acquired the 24-year-old from the Sabres in the offseason. He is 23-18-2 in 46 career NHL games between the two teams.
Placing him on IR means Levi has to sit out a minimum stretch before he can return, so the Oilers are planning for more than a one-game absence. The rest of the roster is thin too, with Frederik Andersen still sidelined and Mattias Ekholm out at least a week.
Edmonton is 8-1-1 and leads the West, so Jarry and Tomkins have a strong team in front of them.
