Oilers Emergency Goaltending Call-Up: Who Is Matt Tomkins?

The Edmonton Oilers have placed goaltender Devon Levi on injured reserve (IR) and called up goaltender Matt Tomkins from the AHL's Bakersfield Condors under emergency conditions. In a pinch, with Frederik Andersen still on LTIR, Tomkins could get his first taste of NHL action with the Oilers next week.

But who is Matt Tomkins? 

Tomkins has played a handful of Oilers preseason games and six NHL regular-season games. The latter were all for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He's also a veteran goaltender who spent years working his way up to the NHL. He was born June 19, 1994, in Sherwood Park, Alberta, and stands 6'4". The Chicago Blackhawks drafted him in the seventh round (199th overall) in 2012.

After a few seasons on minor-league contracts in the AHL and ECHL, he continued his career in Sweden. That stretch put him back on the radar, and he represented Canada at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, posting a 2-1 record with a .963 save percentage. He also played a single game for Team Canada at the Spengler Cup. 

He played six games for the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2023-24, going 3-2-1 with an .892 save percentage. In 2024-25 with AHL Syracuse, he posted a 12-10-5 record, 2.55 GAA and .907 save percentage in 26 games. Not bad numbers. 

His hometown Oilers signed him in July 2025. It was a two-year, two-way deal paying $775K in the NHL and $400K in the AHL. He spent all of last season with the Bakersfield Condors (42 games) and has played three games so far this season. The Oilers actually recalled him to back up Calvin Pickard when Stuart Skinner was ill. He didn't play. 

Tomkins has 136 AHL games on his resume, and he's the closest thing the Oilers have to NHL-ready in their system. He's been working hard and waiting for his shot, which it looks like he'll finally get, depending on how serious the Levi situation is. 

At 32 years old, he's been waiting for a shot. 

David Staples of the Edmonton Journal writes, "Tomkins had some big games for Bakersfield last season, but there was no other NHL franchise that invested such heavy AHL playing time in an old, non-prospect goalie. Edmonton has prospect goalies in its system in Connor Ungar, Samuel Jonsson, and Nathaniel Day, but they’re all in line behind Tomkins." He adds, "Perhaps Tomkins will provide steady goaltending for a game or two if he’s called on in Edmonton...".

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