For every action, there is a reaction.
With Connor McDavid’s return to the lineup, the Oilers had 13 forwards on their NHL roster. Clearly, they don’t want anyone sitting, because they responded by sending Noah Philp back to Bakersfield.
Philp, called up along with Drake Caggiula in the wake of McDavid’s injury last week, notched one assist in three games in his first taste of the NHL.
Philp had a rocky introduction to the big leagues. He played well with Caggiula and Corey Perry in his first game, setting up Caggiula for a scoring chance that Perry finished off to give Philp his first NHL point.
Despite the nice start, Philp’s advanced numbers left a lot to be desired. He struggled to a 39.4% expected goals share, and his fourth line was visibly overwhelmed against Calgary and New Jersey.
Still, seeing him sent down so quickly is a bit surprising. He impressed everyone in the pre-season, almost winning a roster spot out of camp, and it was clear that he’d get his shot in the NHL soon enough.
There’s plenty of opportunity in Edmonton these days, too. Fourth-liners Derek Ryan and Mattias Janmark have had difficult starts to the season, Ryan especially. The 37-year-old centre has posted an xG% of just 38.4, to go with an on-ice goal differential of -7. He might just not have it anymore, and at the very least could probably use a push from a younger player like Philp.
If the Oilers are sending Philp down after just three games, they must already know that he wouldn’t get enough ice time to warrant his inclusion on the NHL roster, and would still benefit from extra time in the AHL.
Sending Philp and his $775,000 cap hit back down does give the Oilers a little more cap space, nudging them up above a million in current space that they can accrue for use later in the season.
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Philp should still be up for good soon, but for now, he’ll benefit from more seasoning in Bakersfield. To wit, he will likely play for the Condors tonight as they visit the Calgary Wranglers, according to Bob Stauffer.
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