Derek Ryan learns his fate on Monday.

The Edmonton Oilers took a risk but it has not cost them.

According to a report from National Hockey League insider Frank Seravalli, Oilers veteran forward Derek Ryan cleared waivers on Monday after no team in the NHL submitted a claim for him. Ryan was placed on waivers Sunday and was the only player on the waiver wire in the NHL.

I thought there was at least a possibility, due to a combination of Ryan's experience in the NHL and his relatively low cap hit and salary, that Ryan could be claimed by a rival team in the NHL but that did not come to pass.

Ryan has appeared in 33 games for the Oilers this season, scoring a single goal and adding 4 assists for a total of 5 points on the campaign so far, all the while picking up 12 penalty minutes and boasting a negative plus minus rating at -5.

It seems very likely that the decision to place Ryan on waivers stems directly from the strong showing from young centerman Noah Philp this season, with the decision to send Ryan to waivers a clear indicator that Philp has taken over his spot in the Oilers lineup moving forward.

Philp has appeared in 6 games for the Oilers this season, the first 6 NHL games of his career, and thus far he has no goals and 1 assist for a total of 1 point, 2 penalty minutes, and a plus minus rating of +2 over that stretch of play.