Edmonton Oilers fans are anxiously awaiting news from the team regarding the health and injury status of captain Connor McDavid. He left Monday evening’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets after falling and crashing into the boards on his first shift of the game.
In the meantime, as he flew back to Edmonton while the team is still on a road trip, we knew they would have to recall a forward to fill the lineup for, at the very least, Thursday’s game against the Nashville Predators.
According to Elliotte Friedman, the team will be recalling forwards Noah Philp and Drake Caggiula from the Bakersfield Condors.
Philp, primarily a centre, and Caggiula, a winger, will look to provide some spark to a struggling Oilers team. Although neither will be expected to produce significant offensive numbers, anything from the bottom half of the lineup would be an improvement.
Where will they fit into the lineup?
Philp could have, and probably should have, made the opening night roster. He had a great performance in training camp and through the preseason. But with him having missed the entirety of last season, it made sense to give him a conditioning stint of sorts in the AHL.
This will be his first taste of NHL action. He will likely not see major minutes and could even spend most of his time as the healthy scratch. But with his skillset of size, speed, and smarts, a chance on the fourth line at the very least is expected.
With the team’s penalty kill struggling in a big way early on, Philp’s defensive IQ might be given a test in that role to see what he’s got.
Caggiula, having spent the first few seasons of his career as an Oiler, will be returning to Edmonton’s lineup for the first time since December 29, 2018.
At this stage of his career, having only played 60 NHL games over the past three seasons, Caggiula will not likely move the needle in a big way. But he will be looked at to fill in a bottom six role while someone else, like Jeff Skinner or Adam Henrique, elevate up the lineup in McDavid’s absence.
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