The Edmonton Oilers are continuing to trim their roster as the 2023-24 season approaches, and in doing so placed four players on waivers Saturday afternoon.
Defencemen Phil Kemp and Cam Dineen, along with forward Brad Malone and goaltender Calvin Pickard have all hit the waiver wire. None come as a surprise, as it was expected they would all begin the 2023-24 season in the AHL with the Bakersfield Condors.
Both Malone and Pickard are journeymen players who are organizational depth and can be counted on in case of injury. Malone has 217 games of NHL experience under his belt, while Pickard has 116.
Both Kemp and Dineen are viewed as prospects in the Oilers system, though their chances to become every day NHLers aren’t seen as overly high right now. The 24-year-old Kemp scored six goals and 21 points in 71 games with the Condors last season. Dineen was acquired from the Arizona Coyotes at the trade deadline. In 19 games with the Condors last season, the 25-year-old scored two goals and 12 points.
The Oilers have been cutting down their numbers as of late in order to be ready for their season opener on Oct. 11 versus the Vancouver Canucks. That said, there are still some decisions to be made both up front and on the back end, and will likely come sooner than later now that they have wrapped up their preseason play.
Cracking this Oilers squad this season is no easy feat, as they are expected to be one of the league’s best in 2023-24. While their roster remains relatively similar to a season ago, they were able to make a few tweaks in the offseason, most notably the signing of forward Connor Brown to a one-year deal.
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