Oilers call up: One Bear in, one Bear out

At 38 years old, ten years past prime retirement age, you could say the writing was on the wall of for Edmonton Oilers center Derek Ryan — he was getting put on waivers.

Some think his value on the Oilers was decreasing, and while this argument holds clear merit, you can’t ignore a job well done at 603 National Hockey League (NHL) games, a debut at 29, and Golden Bears alum status.

But 26-year-old Noah Philp, with similar status, has come in and added some physicality to the Oilers’ fourth line — a fact that an undersized Ryan can’t say.

“[Philp has] been playing very well in Bakersfield, giving him an opportunity to play with our team. Hopefully [he] provides some physicality, some speed to our game, and another guy who can penalty kill,” Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said post-game on January 15.

Ahh, the penalty kill. Doesn’t it always come back to the special teams?

With a bottom of the pack penalty kill and an improved power play, the special teams have seen a mix up to say the least.

“I know that the [penalty kill] is something that they would like me to work my way into, and I’m comfortable in that role, and I feel that’s a strong seat of mine,” Philp said.

As a defensive fourth-line forward, it definitely is, and maybe a way to earn more ice time as an under 10-minute player, if that.

“It’s just playing good defensively, and I’d like to just work as much as I can to get more opportunities.”

Where do the Oilers stand with Ryan?

On the other side of this, Ryan went from 12 minutes of ice time to 11, then nine, then eight before getting put on waivers — a tough decision for such a well-respected player. Now that he’s cleared, Ryan’s in a weird limbo status where he’s not getting sent to Bakersfield but he’s not actively a part of the team either.

“As an older guy who’s played a lot of hockey, [it’s] a little bit different than maybe if he was a 20 year old, playing on our team. A 20 year old gets sent down, we’d expect him to play every practice, every game. That’s important for the development. Not sure [it’s] that crucial that he’s playing every single game, every single practice,” Knoblauch said.

There’s no other way to say it — Ryan doesn’t need more time to develop. He’s 38 and playing the way he needs to. Sure, his game will be ready if the Oilers need him, and yes, he’s one injury away from being called up. But for the most part, this is his time to decide what role he wants to play.

“I perceive [Ryan] being back in the lineup at some time,” Knoblauch said.

Since he’s cleared, this is a real possibility. Fans, especially those at the U of A, would love to see another two Bear game from Ryan and Philp. Add in Knoblauch’s time with the Bears, and there’d be a strong home-town crowd in the Oilers locker room.

Above all, this speaks volumes of the Bears’ program

With all of this coming up, you can’t ignore that just as one Bear leaves the Oilers, another gets called up. For such an overlooked league, this is quite the accomplishment.

“I think [U Sports] can serve as a development to the NHL,” Philp said.

Similar words were echoed by Knoblauch and Ryan just last month.

“The [National Collegiate Athletic Association] gets a lot of hype, and there’s a lot of great teams out there, don’t get me wrong about that. But I definitely think that U Sports has some amazing players and some guys who are really continuing to work and push, and I’d love to see more and more guys come out of there,” according to Philp.

Who wouldn’t? Everyone loves an underdog story and that’s exactly what U Sports players are becoming. The silent, undercover player that heads into a training camp just to remind people that there are actually good players in this league. For almost 10 years now, the Bears have proved this — at least with the Oilers.

It’s why the Oilers’ decision to put Ryan on waivers was so difficult for some people, and why Philp’s call up had such a positive reaction. People love the long shot they can silently root for.