The Edmonton Oilers head into Thursday night’s game against the Nashville Predators with some fresh faces in the lineup as center Noah Philp makes his NHL debut and forward. Drake Caggiula joins on the fourth line. He was called up from the Bakersfield Condors earlier this week to help fill the void left by Connor McDavidankle injury, Philp’s debut will be one of the stories of the game as he has played extremely well in training camp and pre-season.

The 26-year-old center will be playing in his first NHL regular season game after a strong camp and impressive opening run in the AHL this season. He has two goals and one assist in six games.

Philp took his last leave for personal reasons, but it looks like he hasn’t missed a beat. In fact, he looks faster and more skilled, bringing some excitement to fans waiting for some positive news since McDavid is out for two to three weeks. Philp is no McDavid, but he is known for his goal touch. Head coach Kris Knoblauch encouraged Philp to “pick up where he left off,” acknowledging his strong play during the preseason.