Quote:
Originally Posted by GranteedEV
One guy was playing with Leon Draisaitl on the top line in training camp from the first shift onward. The other guy was not.
I mean, yes, it's great when a prospect can elevate the Tanner Glass' of the world the way Dube did in training camp last year, but sometimes different skillsets require different experimentation. If Phillips were a guy who could help run our power play would you find that out based on how he was used? If he is a guy who likes to get hit with a clean first pass would you find that out with Bartkowski types? If he is a guy who is best carrying the puck do you find that out playing dump and chase?
I do feel Phillips was invisible in preseason last year, but it really doesn't mean much to me. I don't see him as a super-versatile Paul Byron type who will always be noticible. I see him being similar to Versteeg, but with a bit more speed. So I need to see him put in a position to play to HIS strengths. It's really the whole story of the last two years under GG, a one-size-fits-all approach that wasn't working for "all" or even "most".
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Phillips issues started sooner though; it's a process.
He was pretty non stand out in Penticton, and because of that he didn't really earn the right to play with the Draisaitls of the Flames camp.
Foo had a good Penticton and then faded.
Dube was strong throughout and stuck the longest.
But Phillips was pretty quiet all the way through.