The Avalanche have signed forward Matthew Phillips to a one-year contract, the team announced. PuckPedia reports it’s a two-way deal worth $775K in the NHL and $287.5K in the AHL.
Phillips, a diminutive 5’8″ winger who spent his junior days with the Western Hockey League’s Victoria Royals, was a sixth-round pick of the Flames in 2016. He signed his entry-level contract and turned pro with their AHL affiliate in Stockton two years later, quickly becoming one of the minor league’s top offensive players. In parts of five seasons with the Flames’ affiliates in Stockton and Calgary, Phillips totaled 237 points (103 G, 134 A) in 265 games. He was named to the league’s First All-Star Team in 2022-23, his final year in the organization, after leading the team in scoring with 76 points (36 G, 40 A) in 66 games.
But despite that strong production, Phillips never got much of an NHL chance in Calgary. He made only three big-league appearances spread over the 2020-21 and 2022-23 seasons, going without a point and averaging 10:48 per game. As such, he departed the organization in the summer of 2023 as a Group VI UFA, signing a one-year, one-way deal with the Capitals.
Phillips made Washington’s opening night roster and got an extended chance to produce, but he wasn’t up to the task. He was placed on waivers mid-season and was claimed by the Penguins, but only lasted a few weeks in Pittsburgh before being waived again and re-claimed by Washington. Overall, he managed just one goal in five points in 31 games between the Caps and Pens last year.
He also wasn’t the same player he was with Calgary in his brief time suiting up for the Capitals’ AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears. Phillips did have six points in nine regular season games, but he went without a point and posted a -3 rating in six playoff games for this year’s Calder Cup champions. The 26-year-old became a Group VI UFA again this summer and wasn’t retained by Washington.
Phillips now looks to rediscover his offensive touch in Colorado, whether with the NHL club in Denver or the AHL club in Loveland. At worst, he’s a potential high-ceiling offensive option to stash in the minors with 34 games of NHL experience to use as a fourth-line call-up in a pinch.
I’m very happy to see Phillips get another opportunity. The Avs play a style more suited to his skill set. I have followed him since his Victoria Royals days.