The Edmonton Oilers announced Monday night that they have recalled defenceman Philip Kemp from the Bakersfield Condors. The 24-year-old right-shot defenceman clocks in at 6’3″ and 212 pounds.
Kemp was originally a seventh-round pick (208 overall) in 2017 out of the US national development program. He followed that up with 35 points over three seasons with Yale University and an appearance on the US World Junior team. After a strong preseason with the Oilers, Kemp was assigned to the Condors for his fourth AHL season.
What Kemp can bring to the table
As of late, Kemp has been paired with top prospect Phillip Broberg. The pair has received heavy deployment from Coach Colin Chaulk, and has faired well despite those tough assignments. Kemp projects as a defence first player at the NHL level, using his size to box out forwards in front of the net and manage puck battles along the boards.
Kemp signed a two-year extension on May 30, 2023 which carries a league minimum cap hit of $775K, including a guaranteed minimum salary of $210K. The Oilers currently sit with $704,247 of accumulated cap space. Kemp carries a prorated cap hit of $407,682 for the remainder of the season, leaving Edmonton with $296,564 of accumulated cap space moving forward.
Coach Kris Knoblauch had previously mentioned that the team would recall a defenceman for the upcoming road trip, which will see games in Chicago on Tuesday, Detroit on Thursday, and in Montreal on Saturday. Brett Kulak has been rumoured to be banged up, taking optional skates and the skills competition off, but with Kemp being a right shot compared to Kulak’s left shot, it suggests Paul Coffey and the rest of the Oilers coaching staff have something else in mind.
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