Guys who’ve never played in the NHL, and who are coming back from a year away from hockey, aren’t supposed to walk into training camp like they haven’t missed a beat and push their way to the front of the pack.
But former University of Alberta Golden Bear Noah Philp isn’t interested in how things are expected to unfold in a situation like his. He’s writing his own script — one that has the Edmonton Oilers coaching staff glued to every page.
“Here’s a guy who hasn’t played for 17-18 months and to come to an NHL camp and make the team right away would have been almost ridiculous to think about,” said Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch, after another strong outing from the 26-year-old right shot centre.
“But he’s played really well. He’s shown us that he is ready and he didn’t have as much rust as you would think.”
The six-foot-three, 198 pounder from Canmore brings a lot to the discussion on a team looking to fill a fourth line/13th forward position. In Saturday’s 5-4 win over the Seattle Kraken, Philp scored a nice goal from in tight, dominated the face-off circle, killed penalties and didn’t look at all out of place in a hard-fought pre-season tilt.
“That was a nice goal, being able to catch it and put it up there with very little room was a nice play,” said Knoblauch, adding Philp checks a lot of the boxes you’re looking for in a depth centre.
“You look at the things he needs to do well: We had some penalty kills and he made some really nice plays, broke up some plays. In faceoffs he was 9-2, which is very important for him to be noticed. Just another good game from him.”
That Philp, who took last season off to address mental health issues, is able to hit the ground running like this is a credit to him. It’s also a really nice bonus for the Oilers. A year ago they weren’t sure if they’d ever get the player back, now he’s making them an offer it might be hard to refuse.
“The last year that he played he gained a lot of traction, they did a heck of a job in Bakersfield developing his game,” said Knoblauch. “It’s nice to see that we have some options. We still have time to evaluate guys but he’s done a heck of a job and he has been noticed.”
Philp isn’t counting any chickens and knows that the pre-season games will only get harder from here. More veterans will be drawing in and the intensity will be picking up as the regular season draws nearer. But he’s in there swinging and that’s all you can ask for from a player trying to make up for lost time.
“Better each day,” he said of his confidence and comfort level. “I like to think I’m getting a little better. I’m just trying to be stronger and win battles and be good defensively.
“I think I’m getting better at that. I’ve been learning from the coaches, they’ve been giving me a lot of good tips.”
Veteran forward Derek Ryan, who also played for the University of Alberta, says the combination of talent, intelligence and work ethic give Philp a great opportunity to complete the incredible comeback story.
“I think he has a bright future so I’m excited to see where his career goes,” said Ryan. “I like his game a lot. I think his offensive skills are there for sure. He’s strong on faceoffs, he’s a big body who’s not afraid to get in there and mix it up. I think the sky is the limit.”
This, of course, begs the question of whether Philp would be better served as a 13th forward with the Oilers or by logging heavy minutes in the AHL until Edmonton has more ice time for him up here. However it plays out, he’s determined to make his mark one day.
“When you’re playing with the quality of players who are here, even if you’re not getting minutes, just being around them and learning can be incredibly beneficial,” he said. “That being said, tons of ice time in Bakersfield can be great, too, so I’ll just play it as it goes.”
BEAR FACTS
The Alberta Golden Bears have a strong presence on this year’s team. Not only are Ryan and Philp from the program, Knoblauch and goalie coach Dustin Schwartz are also former U of A players.
“I have a lot of respect for the (Canadian university hockey) having spent five years there,” said Knoblauch. “I think it’s a great league. I don’t think you’re going to be pulling NHL stars, first line players for NHL rosters from (U Sports) but I think it’s probably under utilized in pulling out prospects who can certainly fill a role and be good American League players and even come up and play in the NHL. And in my opinion the University of Alberta is the premier team.”
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