Former U of A player Noah Philp still fighting for Oilers roster spot as cuts continue

The Edmonton Oilers are preparing to play their second-last pre-season crippled connected Wednesday, and arsenic training campy nears its extremity and subordinate cuts support coming, erstwhile University of Alberta Golden Bears centre Noah Philp is relishing nan chance to support battling for a roster spot.

“(I’m) learning each day,” nan 26-year-old Canmore autochthonal told Global News this week.

Philp’s return to nan Oilers statement this offseason is somewhat of a renaissance for his lucky career.

The erstwhile Western Hockey convention subordinate spent nan 2022-23 play playing for nan Oilers’ American Hockey League connection nan Bakersfield Condors, wherever he scored 19 goals and chipped successful 18 assists successful 70 games. But past he took nan adjacent play off.

“What leaving did that was awesome was it made it consciousness truthful caller again,” Philp said.

Now, it appears Philp is near competing pinch Drake Caggiula and Raphael Lavoie for nan 13th guardant spot connected nan Oilers’ roster arsenic nan countdown to nan NHL regular play is astir complete.

With Philp impressing aft a twelvemonth off, Oilers caput coach Kris Knoblauch suggested it has been an improbable training campy occurrence story.

“To beryllium this acold on nan process, is rather surprising,” he said.

Derek Ryan, who has mostly held nan Oilers’ fourth-line centre spot complete nan past mates of seasons, is nan only different right-shot centre astatine nan team’s training campy speech from Philp.

“Having much opportunities to put guys successful there, to return those protect area draws and not conscionable (have that) beryllium connected DR’s (Ryan’s) shoulders, I deliberation that helps his cause,” Knoblauch said of Philp.

In 4 pre-season games pinch nan Oilers, Philp has won 28 of 47 faceoffs he’s taken portion in. He won 9 of 11 draws against nan Seattle Kraken complete nan weekend. He has besides scored a extremity and picked up an assist.

Philp suggested that his offence seems to travel erstwhile he is besides playing good without nan puck.

“I person noticed erstwhile I’m playing harder defensively, it fuels my violative crippled arsenic well,” he said. “I find they spell manus successful hand.

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On Tuesday, nan Oilers announced six much players person been trim from camp, but Knoblauch noted that he hopes each subordinate who does not make nan club’s opening nighttime roster remembers nan squad whitethorn supply them opportunities down nan road.

“During nan season, there’s going to beryllium times where, one, there’s injuries, or, two, we conscionable don’t for illustration really our team’s playing and we request a small something,” he said.

“We’ve talked to nan players astir what they provide. … Go down location and play to that identity.”

The Oilers will look disconnected against nan Kraken astatine nan Climate Pledge Arena successful Seattle connected Wednesday nighttime earlier taking connected nan Canucks successful Vancouver connected Friday.

Knoblauch indicated that he expects seasoned defenceman Darnell Nurse to play successful astatine slightest 1 game, and perchance successful some games. Nurse, who has been dealing pinch an injury, has been practicing pinch nan Oilers passim training campy but has yet to play successful a pre-season game.

— pinch files from Slav Kornik, Global News