Matthew Phillips is expected to hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent on Saturday, but the door isn’t closed on him returning to Calgary next season.
The 25-year-old forward, who finished among the American Hockey League leaders with 36 goals and 76 points during the 2022–23 regular season, will reportedly consider offers from other teams on July 1 as a Group VI unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career.
According to Daily Faceoff‘s Frank Seravalli, the Flames have remained in contact with Phillips and have made him a two-year contract offer. Here’s what Seravalli had to say about Phillips in his column on Friday:
Similarly, it sounds like Matthew Phillips will hit the market on Saturday. Calgary has made an offer to the Group VI UFA, believed to be a two-year deal, and the door isn’t closed on a return. But for a young player who has been one of the best in the AHL the last few years, more opportunity elsewhere has to be attractive.
Phillips is currently the No. 49 available UFA on Daily Faceoff‘s Top 50 list. The five-foot-eight winger has appeared in just three NHL games with the Flames during his career.
After helping the Calgary Wranglers clinch the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy as the AHL’s top team during the 2022–23 regular season, Phillips added seven points in nine playoff games as the Wranglers fell to the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the hotly contested 2023 Pacific Division Final.
Phillips also represented the Wranglers at the 2023 AHL All-Star Classic in Laval, Quebec, and helped Team Pacific win the 3-on-3 mini-tournament.
The Flames originally selected Phillips in the sixth round (No. 166 overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft. New Flames general manager Craig Conroy was one of the driving forces behind Phillips’ selection.
Through 265 career AHL games over parts of six seasons with the Wranglers franchise, Phillips has collected 103 goals and 237 points. He’s added 15 points in 24 playoff contests with the Wranglers and Stockton Heat.
More must-reads: