Quote:
Originally Posted by bigrangy
There's no such thing as a 4th line role in the NHL in 2023.
Every player on every line is expected to outperform the guys he goes up against on the ice. The best way to outperform the other guy is to be better at hockey, faster, bigger, smarter, better hands, whatever combination of those that you need. Phillips can hypothetically be good using his good passing and good puck pursuit.
The Flames 4th line gets easy zone starts, easy matchups, and sheltered ice time. That Lewis and Lucic are still failing says that they're not very good at hockey anymore, and that they're still being allowed to fail says that the coach and management group don't understand that it is possible to have all 12 of your forwards be actual good players.
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not true, there are certainly checkers, PK specialists and fighters in the NHL still. We can go trough every single team in the league and find a player with less scoring skill than MP but the teams obviously want those players over him or a player like him.
Maybe the Flames are holding him back but its not like any other team is banging down the door. The worst teams in the league didn't think he was worth a waiver claim.
I can promise than Dube and Mangiapane wouldn't clear waivers...let alone at league min salary