Edmonton Oilers Lose 26-Year-Old Defenceman to the Pittsburgh Penguins in Free Agency

The Pittsburgh Penguins went after Philip Kemp, a defenseman of the Oilers last season, who played in the AHL. The deal is for two years, and it will pay Kemp $775K in year 1 in the NHL and $350K in the minors, with $375K guaranteed.

In Year 2, Kemp will receive virtually the same salary, with the only difference being that his guaranteed amount will be $400k.

Kemp was drafted in 2017 by the Oilers and played mostly in the AHL with the Bakersfield Condors, and only made a single NHL appearance with Edmonton on January 13, 2024.

In his most recent 2024-25 season, Kemp played 56 AHL games, tallying 12 points.

The Penguins have been fairly busy in free agency. Prior to this signing, the team also inked Philip Tomasino to a one-year, $1.75 million contract on Tuesday. Tomasino was an unrestricted free agent after he did not receive any qualifying offer.

The 23-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., was acquired from the Nashville Predators back in November in exchange for a fourth-round selection in the 2027 NHL Entry Draft.

After recording just one assist in 11 games with Nashville, Tomasino had 23 points (11 goals and 12 assists) in 50 games with Pittsburgh, as he really benefited from a change of scenery.

Tomasino was drafted in the first round, 24th overall, by the Predators in 2019, which proves he does have upside potential. He has 94 career points (34 goals and 60 assists) in 209 games with Nashville and now Pittsburgh.