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Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald
Age 24, but who's counting? And I don't think an extension works for either party, so I question whether the Flames will re-up Phillips or if he would even accept the offer on the table.
The NHL team needs to think about the future and developing NHL talent. A long-term contract with a player that is not in their plans doesn't make sense. Why sign a player that is not in your plans, especially when you have a number of players coming into the minor league system that need playing time? The team needs to keep push these guys forward and keep churning out NHL talent, not AHL minor leaguers. When a player ages out, they need to move on. Phillips is aging out.
The player needs to think about his future and to maximize his earnings. They don't care about who they play for. They are all mercenaries, so the thing they hope to achieve is the quickest path to the NHL where the money is the best or start looking for avenues where they have the greatest earning potential. The AHL is not that place for most players. You can make more money in Europe than you can in the AHL and have a much easier lifestyle. So why would anyone with some level of control over their future elect to sign a long-term two-way deal for AHL money? Especially a team where you are clearly not in the NHL plans? Go big or go to Europe and secure some cash for your future.
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You act like they have three precious spots in the AHL for prospects and that's it.
Winning at any level is good for developing players. Phillips is a very good AHL talent with a chance to pop to the next level. The Flames would want him back, but they're not going to paint themselves into a corner to do so.