Help is on the way.
After being forced to dress just 17 skaters against Anaheim on Monday, the Edmonton Oilers can finally address some of their injury woes by calling up a player from Bakersfield on an emergency basis. That means center Noah Philp will return to the Oilers for his third stint this season.
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It's a bit of a surprise that Philp, not top prospect Matt Savoie, is filling this role. The Oilers, reduced to icing a lineup filled with depth players, are in dire need of offense. Philp has acquitted himself well in the limited time he's played in the Oilers' bottom six, but he's not much of an offensive threat, with just two assists in twelve NHL games.
Philp's recall could represent some good news for the Oilers, then. Though Trent Frederic is unlikely to return before the playoffs, choosing Philp's dependability over Savoie's upside could mean that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are inching closer to a return.
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Philp will also be there to push the remainder of the Oilers' depth forwards down the season's final stretch. With McDavid, Draisaitl, Frederic, and Evander Kane all set to return for the playoffs, some forwards will be on the outside looking in.
While Philp is very unlikely to play in the playoffs, his performance this week could shed some light on the performances of bubble players like Max Jones and Kasperi Kapanen.
This recall is also yet another chance for the 26-year-old Philp to prove he belongs in the NHL going forward. He didn't claim the fourth-line center role the Oilers hoped he would this season, and the Oilers' depth chart will only get more crowded next season with the additions of David Tomasek and Josh Samanski. Solid play in his third stint in Edmonton could give Philp a leg up on the competition in 2025-26.
The Oilers' next game is on Wednesday, as they welcome Philip Broberg, Dylan Holloway, and the St. Louis Blues to Rogers Place for the final time this season.
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