PROJECTED LINEUP: Oilers at Wild

ST. PAUL, MN – Forward Noah Philp will play on a line with Kasperi Kapanen and Corey Perry while goaltender Calvin Pickard will get the start between the pipes on Wednesday night at Xcel Energy Center against the Minnesota Wild.

Defenceman Mattias Ekholm was the only player not on the ice for the Oilers during their full-team skate this morning, with Head Coach Kris Knoblauch saying that the Swedish blueliner is a game-time decision for tonight.

Philp has re-joined the Oilers in Minnesota after being recalled for his second NHL stint on Tuesday from the Bakersfield Condors, where he was playing well with nine goals and eight assists in 28 AHL games.

“Steadily progressing,” Philp said. “I feel like I've been working a lot on my speed and just keeping my legs moving and being effective and having a good stick all over the ice and hoping to put that into play here."

The 26-year-old will immediately get the chance to showcase some of his growth by jumping into the lineup on the fourth line versus the Wild, including taking on the role of one of Edmonton’s penalty-killers. Philp has an assist in three career NHL games, with his lone helper coming in a 5-1 victory over the Predators on Oct. 31 in 11:52 of ice time.

“He's obviously been playing very well in Bakersfield and we’ll give him the opportunity to play with our team and provide some physicality and speed to our game,” Knoblauch said. He’s another guy who can penalty kill.”

The reports from Bakersfield on Philp since returning to the AHL from his three-game stint with the Oilers earlier this season have been of the growth in his all-around game, and the Canmore product is ready to build on his first look at NHL action with a good showing in Minnesota tonight.

“Super exciting opportunity to be given a second chance up here,” Philp said. “I think I'm just grateful for that and excited to put my best foot forward here.

“I think just being consistent, being aggressive and trying to make a difference out there. I think if you sit back a little too much, you're not gonna make anything happen, so that's kind of a little bit of my focus moving forward.”

Philp recorded his lone NHL assist while playing on Corey Perry’s line earlier this season and will reunite with him on Wednesday on a line with Kapanen, giving him two veteran forwards to work with as he tries to establish himself at the NHL level.

“I got a chance to play with Perry before, and I think I said last time that he's such a calming presence out there and he's seen it all, so I’m just excited to have his mind out there. And then Kaps has a lot of speed and is great player as well, so I’m just excited to make some stuff happen.”

“There's a little bit less hype [this time], a little bit less of that sort of stuff and I think that's a little easier on me, and I'm just excited.”

Calvin Pickard, meanwhile, is 6-1-0 in his last seven starts for the Oilers but maintains he has improvements he wants to see in his own game after not loving how some of his recent starts have gone despite getting the victory.

"The record's definitely been there. We're playing some good hockey and finding ways to win games," Pickard said. "Personally, I've just been okay lately. I haven't been obsessed with my game, but finding ways to get wins is the key. It's another good opportunity for me tonight to get out there and play a good game and help my team win."

Edmonton's lines at Wednesday's morning skate in Minnesota appeared as follows:

Nugent-Hopkins - McDavid - Hyman
Podkolzin - Draisaitl - Arvidsson
Janmark - Henrique - Brown
Perry - Philp - Kapanen

Nurse - Stecher
Kulak - Bouchard
Emberson - Brown

Pickard
Skinner

*Mattias Ekholm was not on the ice, while Jeff Skinner and Derek Ryan were the extra forwards.