Everyone Missed It: Mathieu Joseph Could Be the Oilers’ Sneaky Offseason Upgrade

The Edmonton Oilers did a ton of heavy lifting this offseason — moving on from Darnell Nurse, rebuilding their goaltending with Frederik Andersen and Devon Levi, hiring Mike Babcock, and reinforcing the blue line with Ryan Shea and Connor Murphy. They also brought back Kasperi Kapanen, a move that landed well with both the room and the fanbase.

But one signing barely made a ripple: Mathieu Joseph, one year, $1 million AAV on July 1st. Depth guys don’t usually get scooped up on Day 1, which already makes this one interesting. And honestly, Joseph brings far more value than people are giving him credit for. Calling this “just depth” misses the point.

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What Joseph Actually Brings

Joseph spent most of last season with the St. Louis Blues, putting up 11 points in 39 games before mutually terminating his contract and finishing the year with the Kings. He didn’t record a point in 12 games in LA — but the Oilers have already shown they can squeeze value out of Blues castoffs. Kapanen is Exhibit A.

Joseph’s value isn’t tied to scoring. His game is built on speed, pressure, and defensive reliability. His EDGE profile puts him in the 77th percentile for speed, and he’s a relentless forechecker who disrupts plays before they start.

Defensively, he’s legitimately elite. Over the past three seasons, EvolvingHockey has him at +8.0 EVD, ranking 24th among all NHL forwards. His defensive impact per 60 sits in the 92nd percentile league‑wide (min. 500 TOI). That’s not “useful depth.” That’s top‑tier defensive impact — and it’s better than most of Edmonton’s current bottom‑six options.

Joseph didn’t kill penalties as much last season, but historically he’s been one of the league’s best. In 2024, he ranked in the 95th percentile among NHL penalty killers. Considering Edmonton’s PK has been a recurring problem, it’s hard not to see him getting real minutes there.

Will He Make the Team? I Think He Does — and He Might Push Someone Out

A lot of people have Joseph pencilled in as the odd man out. I don’t see it. In fact, he has a built‑in advantage: DJ Smith.

Smith coached Joseph for parts of three seasons in Ottawa, and he was the interim coach in LA when Joseph signed there. That familiarity matters. Coaches trust players they know, especially ones who play a detail‑oriented, defensively responsible game.

Edmonton has options for the fourth line, but it’s not a settled picture.

• Mattias Janmark should be healthy but may have a tough road back.
• Colton Dach showed real promise.
• Trent Frederic is looking for a bounce‑back.
• Josh Samanski is likely the fourth‑line center unless another move happens.

Joseph fits cleanly into this mix — and arguably brings traits the Oilers lack. A fourth line of Joseph–Samanski–Frederic has speed, forechecking, and defensive reliability. Dach rotates in. Janmark suddenly becomes the player fighting uphill, and with Edmonton’s cap situation, he’s a logical candidate to move if they need relief.

Bigger Role Than Expected

I think Joseph ends up playing a much bigger role than fans anticipate. His speed, defensive impact, and penalty‑killing ability fill multiple needs at once. He’s the type of player coaches love because he makes the team harder to play against, and he plays a style that tends to earn trust quickly. When you combine his pace, his forechecking pressure, and his ability to handle tough defensive minutes, he becomes the kind of plug‑and‑play winger who quietly stabilizes a line.

This signing flew under the radar on July 1st — but it might end up being one of Edmonton’s smartest depth adds of the entire offseason. Joseph won’t grab headlines, but he’s the type of undervalued piece that rounds out a contender. If he hits, fans will look back at this move as another example of Edmonton finding value where other teams weren’t paying attention.

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