Edmonton Oilers defence prospect Phil Kemp reaches a crossroads

Earlier this month, our Edmonton Oilers top-20 prospects published with no place for veteran AHL defender Phil Kemp.

Kemp may spend his entire pro career as a tweener — defined as a player who flourishes in the AHL but cannot find a way into the NHL — but it’s unusual for a player of his quality to spend this much time without getting a full opportunity.

Part of the problem is that the Oilers have changed coaches and general managers time and again. At the time he was drafted, Peter Chiarelli was the general manager and the head coach was Todd McLellan. Since then, the team has employed four general managers and four coaches. That’s eight major changes in seven seasons.

Kemp has played in the AHL since 2020-21, with a single NHL game on his resume. Even the game game he played suggested the coach didn’t completely buy in to the idea. Kemp wasn’t trusted to play defence (Kemp is an excellent defender) but instead played just 2:03 as a winger against the Montreal Canadiens.

What’s next for Kemp? Let’s begin with the AHL past.

Bakersfield Condors

Kemp’s scouting report includes average size (6-foot-3, 202 pounds), rugged play, good defending with average or a little below foot speed. If he was a burner, Kemp would be an NHL player full stop.

All numbers even strength, via AHL

Kemp has been above average at even-strength outscoring for almost his entire minor-league career. In his three most recent seasons, he is 5 percent (or better) clear of the rest of the Condors roster in the discipline.

That should have resulted in at least one audition (a real one) over these seasons, but Kemp has encountered some rough terrain in his efforts to get NHL time.

Bad timing, that’s all

One of the issues surrounds Vincent Desharnais, the giant defenceman who was valued highly by Jay Woodcroft. When Woodcroft was the coach in Bakersfield, Desharnais played parts of three seasons, including a mammoth 2021-22 campaign. In that season, Desharnais owned a 66 percent goal share at even strength while playing a prominent role.

Woodcroft remembered that season, and brought Desaharnais to the NHL. Any foot speed issues Kemp brings were less than Desharnais’ speed worries during their AHL time together, but the massive Desharnais wingspan meant a complete audition (and a successful one).

Opportunity missed.

No one noticed

In light of the events that took place surrounding the winter of Philip Broberg’s discontent, Kemp’s problems making the NHL didn’t get much attention.

Broberg went public about wanting out long before Christmas a year ago and accepted an offer sheet from the St. Louis Blues during the summer.

Kemp signed a two-year deal with the Oilers in May 2023 and has played well since the fall of 2023 in hopes of NHL time.

With the exception of one game as a winger, all’s quiet on the Oilers front.

Kemp is a Group 6 UFA and will no doubt reach free agency in the summer.

One could argue that Kemp should be considered for playing time in order to avoid free agency but he is 79 games away and that option no longer exists. All of those games are being eaten by Ty Emberson these days. He’s also Group 6, but the Oilers have burned off almost all of the games (he needs to play in 19 more) required for him to avoid full free agency.

Is this fair? 

The only thing that matters in pro sports is icing the best available talent. Kemp is in a pool of AHL defencemen who have as much ability as several NHL players, but luck has conspired against them and kept them from success at the highest level.

Desharnais’ emergence (he improved his skating and it was impossible for skill NHL wingers to outrace his wingspan) as a useful third-pairing defender cut off Kemp’s route to the NHL, and the Oilers currently deploy a more mobile group with superior puck-moving ability.

The list of Oilers draft picks who experienced the same frustration over the years is long. Through injury or bad timing, there are dozens on the list between Jim Playfair (drafted in 1982) and Kemp, there will be dozens in future years.

Kemp’s route to the NHL is blocked in Edmonton, and a recent cull of Condors defenders (Ben Gleason, Noel Hoefenmayer) did not include any right-handed defenders, including Kemp.

He’s a valuable player at this level, can serve as a mentor, play even strength and penalty kill and score a goal once every so often (he has a very hard shot).

Kemp is 25. It’s possible for him to have an NHL career, men like Desharnais, Parker Wotherspoon, Ryan Shea and Uvis Balinskis have all recently made the league in their mid-20s.

What’s keeping him out? 

Small samples are wildly unfair, and Kemp’s speed doesn’t look out of time in the AHL, but NHL Edge was most unkind in grading him for his single NHL game. Surely his speed is closer to average, but Edmonton’s six current regulars possess more foot speed than Kemp delivers.

During his AHL career, he has averaged 5-13-18 per 82 games. That’s shy offence, although superior to Desharnais’ totals at the same level.

He can play with anyone. Friday night versus the San Jose Barracuda, he lined up with fellow right-handed defender Josh Brown, and he has served as a mentor for many up-and-coming Condors over the years.

His best bet to make the NHL is signing with a team that has some clear openings on the third pairing, right side. Kemp’s handedness allows him an edge over similar players, and he can penalty kill, play big minutes and win battles.

The Oilers are not the right organization. Once known as the “Leftorium” due to so many lefties on the pro roster, the current ratio is completely opposite. Including both the Oilers and Condors rosters, there are four left-handed and nine right-handed defencemen in competition for ice time.

Kemp probably ranks as the No. 6 right-handed defenceman in the system.

It’s time to try to find his place in the sun with another NHL team. Desharnais stole his lunch, Broberg skated off with the headlines and all Kemp did was play well without ever getting a chance to play NHL defence.

It’s time for Phil Kemp to go.

(Photo: Sergei Belski / USA Today)