Edmonton Oilers Prospect Profiles: Phil Kemp

The Edmonton Oilers continue to find late-round gems of defenceman in the draft and may have gotten one in Phil Kemp.

Kemp was taken 208th overall by Edmonton and has the potential to be a solid, NHL defenceman. The 18-year-old played 25 games with the United States National Team Development Program Juniors team. He racked up two goals and four points and was a plus-7.

Edmonton Oilers

He also served as the captain for the U.S. National U18 team, recording five goals and 14 points through 64 games, as well as the USA U18 alternate captain at the U18 World Junior Championships, where he had two goals and was a plus-7 through seven games.

At 6-foot-3, 201 pounds, Kemp is a solid stay-at-home defenceman who plays a quiet yet solid game. He has a pure defensive mentality and uses his size to his advantage. In addition to that, Kemp is a great physical player who isn’t afraid to throw his weight around and win battles for the puck. He can also pass the puck well and displays good gap control.

While he shows a lot of upside as a big, defensive blueliner, Kemp has some areas to improve in. First off, he needs to work on his skating; he is effective, but if he is going to make the transition to professional hockey, he will need to work on it. Sometimes, Kemp has trouble changing direction and he can struggle to keep up with the play. However, as he continues to grow, his skating will get better with time.

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Kemp is set to attend Yale next semester, and will enter the ranks of the NCAA. He is a solid, quiet defender who plays a great style of hockey that should help him increase his value. However, he needs to work on his skating as he starts transitioning to the higher ranks of hockey.