Quote:
Originally Posted by TheScorpion
Lanny, with respect, I think you're looking at this entire situation from a very narrow-minded point of view. You may have written him off, but the Flames haven't, otherwise he wouldn't be here.
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I'm looking at this from the view that the team is trying to fill the lineup with capable NHL players and doing so with Sutter coaching the team. I recognize the reliance on size and speed that made the team successful last season. I don't see that changing in any way this year. Unless Phillips turns into an immediate offensive dynamo at the NHL level, they aren't going to give him the rope he needs to prove himself. There is the biggest knock against him. The top six needs a proven scorer and play in a Sutter system. I'm not sure Phillips is that guy, and if the Flames believed he was they would have inked him to deal that is not set to make him an UFA at the end of this season. The Flames have better options in camp, so Phillips will have to blow some doors off to earn a spot. There is a spot there to be earned, but he has to crawl over a number of players, all of which have other characteristics that make them a better fit for the team.