Quote:
Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald
What are the expectations for a Phillips call up? Are people going to be happy when he is on a very short leash?
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A variation of what 2018-19 Andrew Mangiapane brought to this team would be a start. Took him some time to get his confidence at this level, to catch up to the pace, but ended up being an important contributor down the stretch who made his linemates better.
Who should those linemates be? Whoever stands to benefit most from Matthew Phillips' toolset and skillset without compounding his obvious lack of size. IMO that opposite side winger should be Huberdeau, but it were Lucic/Lewis/Ritchie or Ruzicka, I don't see that as too different from how Garnet Hathaway was Eatbread's opposite side winger. And yes, Eatbread isn't "as small" as Phillips. Yet he also wasn't the smallest player on his line, Derek Ryan was.
Line construction based on compounding a bunch of identical traits rarely works. It doesn't work with Mangiapane - Kadri - Dube and it doesn't work with Huberdeau - Lindholm - Toffoli and it doesn't work with Lucic - Lewis - Ritchie.
What do I expect from Matthew Phillips?
Someone who is a good hockey player helping his team, as he adjusts to a new league.
I don't see what is complicated about that. He can definitely help the fourth line stay above water. He can help the top line (which would also trickle down and make the second line better and so forth). And he is not some 18 year old who needs to learn the pro game.