The Washington Capitals signed Matthew Phillips to a one-year, one-way deal worth $775,000. The former Calgary Flame has yet to break through at the NHL level, but his stats and overall abilities in the American Hockey League (AHL) have shown he’s one step away from cracking an NHL roster and staying there. While the Caps needed depth going into this offseason, they have added a really strong forward in Phillips, who has the chance to take a bottom-six spot away from someone right out of training camp.
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Listed at 5-foot-8, 165 pounds, Phillips is a right-shot centreman from Calgary, Alberta. He is an offensive-minded player that has a sound defensive game and has dominated at the AHL level during the last few seasons, putting up more than a point per game in each of the last two seasons with the Stockton Heat/Calgary Wranglers (from ‘Phillips lifts Wranglers past Gulls in crucial win, takes over AHL goal-scoring lead,’ Calgary Sun, March 26, 2023). It’s a shame the Flames never gave him the opportunity he earned playing as well as he did in the minors, but now Capitals fans have another young player to be excited about.
Matthew Phillips’ Career So Far
Phillips was selected in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the Flames at 166th overall following an impressive showing in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Victoria Royals. He became known to scouts as a speedy and offensive powerhouse that could find the back of the net and create opportunities for himself and his teammates. In his draft year, he scored 37 goals and added 39 assists for 76 points through 72 games, ending the season fourth on the Royals in points and second in goals.
After being drafted, Phillips returned to the WHL and played with the Royals for two more seasons. His first season back saw him beat his own point totals from the season before, as he scored 50 goals and added 40 assists for 90 points through 70 games which comes out to a 1.29 points per game average. He finished the year first in goals and points, and second in assists. He played one game with the Heat when the WHL season was complete, and he got one assist in that game.
In his final season in the WHL, Phillips was named team captain. He finished 2018-19 shattering his own personal records as he scored 48 goals and added 64 assists for 112 points through 71 games which comes out to a 1.83 points per game average. He finished the season first on his team in points, goals, and assists.
Phillips’ first full season in the AHL was a solid one, as he scored 13 goals and added 25 assists for 38 points through 65 games. He followed that up with a much better pace, but only played 38 games the next season scoring 15 goals and adding 18 assists for 33 points. In 2020-21, he got the chance to play his first NHL game and while he didn’t get any points like his first AHL game, he was able to keep up with everyone around him.
The 2021-22 season was Phillips’ breakout year. He didn’t play a game in the NHL but scored 31 goals and added 37 assists for 68 points through 65 games with the Heat. He ended up leading the team in goals, assists, and points and seemed destined for a shot at the Flames’ roster the following season.
The 2022-23 season came around, and Phillips only got two games with the Flames. With the new Calgary Wranglers though, who changed their name from the Heat, he outdid himself and scored 36 goals and added 40 assists for 76 points through 66 games, leading his team in goals, assists, and points for the second season in a row.
Through 265 games in the AHL, Phillips has scored 103 goals and added 134 assists for 237 points which comes out to a 0.89 points per game average.
Phillips’ Fit With the Capitals
Phillips has been brought into the Capitals organization to provide depth and internal competition. Personally, I think he could make the team as a bottom-six forward right out of camp. His scoring abilities wherever he goes are astonishing, so if he can find a groove and his confidence at the NHL level, the Capitals have found themselves a diamond in the rough for the future.
For one year and less than $800,000, Phillips’ contract is a bargain. He has a chance to prove himself and earn a bigger contract next summer, while the Capitals make a low-risk, high-reward investment in a young player who wasn’t utilized properly with the Flames. They want to make it back into Stanley Cup contention, and signing depth guys like Phillips who provide internal competition is a way to begin the climb back. Overall, this is an outstanding signing for the Capitals, and I truly think he makes the team out of training camp as the fourth-line centerman.