The Calgary Flames have announced two minor signings, inking Matthew Phillips and Luke Philp to one-year, two-way deals. Both contracts will carry a $750K salary at the NHL level.
The pair of young forwards will stay in the organization on short-term deals, giving them another chance to compete for NHL playing time. Phillips, 23, actually got into one game with the Flames this season, after once again being a strong contributor in the minor leagues. The tiny, 5’7″ forward was a dominant player in the WHL, scoring 90 and 112 points his last two seasons of junior hockey, and has had no trouble continuing to produce in the AHL. During the 2019-20 season. Phillips had 15 goals and 33 points in just 38 games, earning a spot at the All-Star Game. This season he scored eight goals and 21 points in 30 games, continuing his strong minor league career.
Still, it’s hard to really believe he will ever become an impact player for the Flames. Though there are other examples of small players finding success at the highest level, the fact is that those are exceptions, not the norm. The Flames obviously believe in him enough as a valuable piece of the organization to bring him back, but there will be real hurdles to clear if he wants to be a full-time NHL forward.
For Philp, those same hurdles exist, even if he is a bit bigger than his Stockton Heat teammate. The 25-year-old went undrafted out of the WHL and actually attended the University of Alberta, since he was no longer eligible for the NCAA. On the Canadian college hockey circuit he became a star, scoring 45 points in 24 games during his junior year. That earned him an entry-level contract with the Flames, but he still hasn’t had a whiff of the NHL. In two seasons for Stockton, Philp has 48 points in 82 games. That’s good, but likely not enough to really put him on a path to the Flames given his age (26 in November) and size (5’10”, 185). He would have to take a significant step forward this season to really push for more than spot duty.
Better work on their knuckle dragging if they want to play for Sutter
Flames sing Philip Phillips