Let’s face it, the Calgary Flames are mired in a rough patch that has them sitting fifth in the Pacific Division and ninth in the Western Conference. The team is not exactly playing up to pre-season expectations and has gone remarkably cold after starting the season off by registering five wins and one loss. New players Jonathan Huberdeau and Mackenzie Weegar have not gelled as well as many thought they would and the team’s goaltending has struggled, among other things. However, one bright spot for the organization is the outstanding play of their minor league affiliate team in the American Hockey League (AHL), the Calgary Wranglers.
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In case Flames fans don’t already know, the Wranglers are rolling with an 8-1-1 record in their last ten games. Currently, they occupy the fourth spot in the AHL’s Western Conference, having piled up 10 wins in 17 total games. They have many bright spots in terms of on-ice personnel, and due to the aforementioned slump that the big team finds themselves in, the Flames could call someone up and perhaps spark something. Let’s take a look at three Wranglers players that are drawing plenty of attention and should arguably be first in line when it comes to getting a taste of some NHL action this season.
Matthew Phillips, Centre/Wing
Matthew Phillips is the real deal, make no mistake. The 24-year-old is tearing up the AHL: he is second league-wide in points with 23 in 17 games, and his 13 goals are tops amongst all skaters. This should really come as no surprise, as he tallied 68 points in 65 games last season when the Wranglers were still the Stockton Heat. A sixth-round pick of the Flames back in 2016, the forward has put up big numbers anywhere he has played; he has amassed 184 points in 216 AHL games and the 281 points in 215 career games he recorded for the Victoria Royals of the Western Hockey League (WHL) puts him second all-time in franchise history.
Despite his eye-popping numbers, Phillips has always come under criticism for his size as he is listed at 5-foot-7 and 140 pounds. Thankfully he hasn’t listened to it and decided to let his play do the talking for him. His offence is quite diverse; he can score on the breakaway just as easily and he can bang in dirty net-front goals. Therefore, he could be exactly what the big club needs and would slot in nicely within the…
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