He’s played 1179 games in a Senators’ uniform. More than any other player in the franchise’s history. He’s dressed for another 114 games in the post-season which is ten less than the legendary Daniel Alfredsson.
He’s been a proud member of this organization and has been an important leader for this team both on and off the ice. For 17 seasons, Chris Phillips has been a staple of the blueline here in Ottawa.
Yet with training camp now just a couple months away and as he enters the final year of his current contract, his place on the Senators roster is anything but clear. After undergoing back surgery at the end of last season, there are some questions about whether or not Phillips will be ready when training camp rolls around in September. By all accounts he’s been progressing well from the off-season surgery with the original timelines set at only 4-6 weeks. And it has been reported that a full recovery is expected. But at the age of 37, we won’t really know if a full recovery is in the cards until things start to ramp up in training camp and during the preseason.
Complicating his status further is an already crowded blueline, particularly on the left side. Marc Methot, Patrick Wiercioch, Jared Cowen and Mark Borowiecki all play the left side and are all expected to be a part of the roster next season. With Karlsson, Ceci and Wideman on the right side, that’s seven defenceman. And as we’ve heard in previous seasons, the Senators prefer not to carry eight if they can avoid it. They made a little extra room by dealing Eric Gryba to Edmonton at the Draft but that still leaves eight guys in the picture.
And talking to people close to the organization, they are also quite high on Freddy Claesson and would like to see him play some games this season. We also know Ottawa has been quietly shopping for a defenceman the last month or so. Ideally it would be a player that could fit in their top four and more than likely, a right shot defenceman.
Looking at the depth chart, it’s not entirely clear where Phillips fits in. His game has regressed noticeable the last few years and after significant back surgery, how much does the Big Rig have left in the tank at this point?
Phillips is a proud guy and will certainly want to give it a go. Retirement seems unlikely though as it would result in Phillips leaving $2.5 million on the table. That’s not going to happen. I’ve heard whispers about the possibility of him starting the season on the long term injured reserve list. That would give the Senators some cap relief but for a team that is more concerned with budget than salary, that really doesn’t do a whole lot to help their situation.
Of course, there’s always a chance Phillips comes to camp ready to play and takes on sort of a mentor role on the blueline. At this point he would be the 7th or 8th guy on the depth chart but he’s still a solid presence in the room and could help to mentor some of the team’s younger defenceman.
No matter how you look at it, it’s obvious the career-long Ottawa Senator is nearing the end of his career in the National Hockey League. What’s not quite as clear is exactly how it’s going to end.
