With the season officially over for their AHL affiliate, the Edmonton Oilers have boosted their NHL roster by calling up six black aces. The full list of recalls includes forwards Matthew Savoie, Noah Philp, and James Hamblin; defensemen Cam Dineen and Philip Kemp; and goaltender Olivier Rodrigue – per Bob Stauffer of 880 CHED. Stauffer adds that all seven black aces took part in the Oilers’ team skate on Saturday.
The most notable member of this group is undoubtedly Savoie, who stands as one of Edmonton’s top prospects and ranked second on the Bakersfield Condors in scoring with 19 goals and 54 points in 66 games this season. It was a statement rookie season for the young winger, after he showed a glimmer of strong pro play with five points in six AHL games last year. Savoie appeared in four NHL games earlier this season. He recorded one assist and a minus-four. But he was renowned for his playoff performances throughout three years in the WHL – where he combined for 65 points in 48 postseason games, capped off with a WHL championship.
While Savoie could offer a home run swing, Edmonton will also receiver quainter NHL impact from Philp, Rodrigue, and Dineen. Philp appeared in the first 15 games of his NHL career this season, recording two assists and a plus-one. He coupled those modest numbers with 19 goals and 35 points in 55 AHL games – matching his goal-scoring and falling two shy of his point totals from 70 AHL games last season. Dineen appeared in four NHL games and Rodrigue in two – both to quiet effect – but they were major pieces of the AHL lineup all season long. Dineen led all Condors defensemen in scoring with 43 points in 59 games. Rodrigue handled the AHL starting role and managed an 18-16-7 record and .897 save percentage in 41 games. All three players will offer clear bottom-of-the-lineup translatability should Edmonton be forced to lean on their depth.
The group of call-ups is rounded out by Hamblin and Kemp, who each received NHL minutes last season but spent the entirety of this year in the minors. Hamblin managed an encouraging 45 points in 51 games while rotating through a top-line wing role, while Kemp found himself down the lineup and only managed 12 points in 56 games. Both will likely be the last Black Ace tapped on, should Edmonton need to turn towards any of them.