1) Where does Phillips fit in the Line up?
Lindholm and Tkachuk? And Let Gaudreau play on a checking line?
2) compare Phillips to the other 2016 draft pick... Dillon Dube...
Dube was on U-20 Team Canada twice and captain once.
Dube was over a ppg in his 56 AHL game with the never overpowering Heat.
the 2019-20 Heat 30-17-8 was the best all time Heat team ever. 22 year old Phillips was not a ppg. An all skill, tiny player like him has to be a solid ppg player at the AHL level to be considered for a look.
Here is where Sutter thinks where Dube is in his development:
Quote:
Dube in Doghouse
Since Sutter was hired, many players have struggled to perform at the level they are capable of, perhaps none more than Dillon Dube. The 22-year-old has not made a great impression on his new bench boss. First, he played just 6:06 in a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 20. Despite that benching, Sutter made it clear that he believes Dube is a great player and that he will be fine moving forward.
However, that hasn’t been the case. While he suited up for the team’s next three games, he was held to just a single assist. Clearly, that isn’t good enough for Sutter, and Dube was a healthy scratch again on Saturday night.
“They’ve got to be better players for us,” Sutter said when asked why both Dube and rookie defenceman Juuso Valimaki were healthy scratches against the Jets. “Okay is not okay in this racket.”
When Sutter was brought in, he was expected to bring accountability to the dressing room. Early on, that appears to be the case, as he has shown tough love to his players. It will be interesting to see how both players, particularly Dube, respond.
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I recall that Tim Ramholt was forced into Keenan's Flames lineup and played for 45 seconds, cost the Flames a goal and his NHL was over.