Myth busting-Goalie Coach Edition

Two key prospects recently inked new deals with the Oilers.

One is center Noah Philp, who recently wrapped up a season at the U of A. He had a pretty successful junior career, capped off by scoring 26 goals and 75 points in 56 games for the Seattle Thunderbirds. However, oddly enough for some strange reason he was never drafted into the NHL. He played two games for the Stockton Heat after that season but scored no points.

So, he went the Canadian college route, going to the U of A and in 2019-20 put up 27 points in 28 games. Then last year in what I’m assuming was a covid-shortened season, he put up eight goals and 11 points in eight games for the U of A this season.

After that wrapped up he signed with the Oilers on an ATO for this season and $842,500 for next season on a two way contract. He played two games for the Condors this season producing no points.

We’ll see how he does next season.

The other one is 2020 fourth round pick left wing Carter Savoie. He signed an ATO with Bakersfield for the remainder of this AHL season, and played a whopping one game with no points. There’s been nothing more on any transactions for him but he’s bound to get an ELC from the Oilers sooner or later.

He previously spent two seasons with the Sherwood Park Crusaders of the AJHL, putting up 53 goals and 99 points in 54 games there. Then he went the US College route, spending two seasons at the University of Denver where he put up 23 goals and 45 points in 39 games in his second season.

The Oilers have certainly raided the cupboards of the forward ranks in recent years from Bakersfield (Puljujarvi, Yamamoto, Ryan Mcleod, Tyler Benson) and that’s by and large left them without a lot of firepower up front on the farm team, especially NHL ready firepower (Benson would be the closest of that list, although Dylan Holloway is rumoured to give him a run for his money next season).

This has left them to supplement their forward group with AHL veterans and college signings like Philp. They’ve already got a pipeline going on D and in the nets, but the forward ranks are all either underripe, AHL veterans who don’t fit into the Oilers long term plans, or castoffs from the Oilers.

These additions along with sealing the deal with key prospects like James Hamblin – whose contract was recently upgraded from AHL only to two way starting next season – and our first rounder from 2021 Xavier Bourgault who recently wrapped up his junior career and will join the Condors next season, hopefully will fill the space in that vacuum.