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Originally Posted by boogerz
Mangiapane is marginally bigger, but he didn't look good in his first 10-game NHL stint and it took him 18 games spread across two seasons before he got his first NHL point. None of us thought he'd end up enough to be a regular second liner, but he got better with the more chances that he got.
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When you say "marginally bigger" you mean three inches in height and thirty pounds in weight, right? So almost 20% of Phillips' body mass is the "marginal" difference between the two. That isn't marginal.
Mangiapane also scored at better than a PPG clip for his last two seasons in the AHL (only portions of, not complete seasons), something Matthew Phillips has been unable to come close to. Phillips best was .86 PPG followed by a regression to .7 PPG the last two seasons. Conversely, Ruzicka went from .5 PPG to .75 PPG, showing progression in his development, which is why he was recalled over Phillips. Neither compare to Mangiapane though, who scored at a 1.17 PPG clip, then a small drop off to 1.13 PPG before sticking in the NHL.
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Phillips is highly skilled, has a good motor, and plays the "right way" (to the extent of his size). If he's made it this far being as tiny as he is, he deserves a real chance to prove himself in the NHL
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Phillips may have all these great things for the AHL, but he is in tough for the NHL. He's going to the NHL where everyone has his motor and is highly skilled. He has to stand out in good ways, and that means scoring. If he isn't doing that, then he's no use to the team. He's too small to do anything else. If he wants to be an NHL player, he better start by scoring at a better than a PPG clip at the AHL level.