On Friday’s edition of Daily Faceoff Live, Frank Seravalli and Mike McKenna discussed some of the top Group 6 unrestricted free agents in the National Hockey League set to hit the market this summer.
The Group 6 rule allows players to elect for unrestricted free agency at age 25 if they haven’t reached a certain threshold of NHL games played in their existing organization. In practice, it’s in effect to prevent teams from stashing players in the minor leagues until age 27 — the typical UFA age — when they might be NHLers somewhere else.
Matthew Phillips is a prime example. The Calgary Flames draft pick has factored into just three NHL games during his career despite being one of the top scorers in the American Hockey League over the past few seasons. He just turned 25 and is set to become a Group 6 UFA this summer.
The Flames cleaned house after the end of their disastrous 2022–23 season, firing head coach Darryl Sutter and watching GM Brad Treliving leave for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Will the Flames’ new management regime be able to convince Phillips to stay for one more crack at it in Calgary, his hometown?
Mike McKenna: We’ve got the unusual Group 6 free agents out there. I’ve got my eye on Joey Daccord, goaltender for the Seattle Kraken franchise, but you’ve got somebody else who may have some teams interested.
Frank Seravalli: By the way, side note, you mentioned the Kraken, they’re also looking to move Chris Driedger. Probably not a surprise, also coming off of significant injury. But on the Group 6 free agent front, we already saw Mikey Eyssimont re-sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning, a two-year deal, he was a pending Group 6 free agent. And Matthew Phillips of the Calgary Flames is another one who has, I believe, generated some interest on the market. Look, you take a look at his AHL numbers, 36 goals, 76 points, back-to-back years inside the top 10 in AHL scoring, someone who hasn’t gotten a crack at the NHL level under Darryl Sutter, and really wants and is ready for an NHL opportunity.
The Flames wanna keep him. Craig Conroy and Ryan Huska have a youth movement afoot and they’re trying right now to convince Phillips to stay, but because he hasn’t gotten that shot and he’s 25 years old, he is in line to become a total UFA on July 1. It’s the undersized, five-foot-seven frame that’s held him back to this point, at least in terms of a lot of teams believing he can be an impact NHL guy, but we’ve already seen small, undersized guys come through the Calgary Flames organization, go elsewhere, and blossom. Marty St. Louis, that would be one. If I were Matthew Phillips, I’d say it’s hard now, given your run in the organization, to convince me, even with new guys, that I’m going to get an authentic shot. I’d like to see someone, somewhere else, step up and put some money on the line in a one-way, guaranteed deal, to take a chance on me, knowing that I’m going to get a real authentic opportunity.
Watch the full episode here:
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