What to do with Chris Phillips?

Management needs to talk to Phillips and let him decide what he would like. They should put their chips on the table say that they will offer him a 2-3 year contract @ 1$ million/year. We repay him by letting him make the choice. The important part of this is to not do like Toronto did with Sundin. That conversation and decision stays between participants.

There is one player that you start your legacy with, and that’s Alfie. Why would we hang Phillips or Fisher’s jersey up? Because they are good guys? That doesn’t fly. Redden did more charity work than Phillips and was a much better defenceman on the whole — we hanging his J up? Everybody has a favourite player, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be traded — and it’s not like we are talking about perenial Norris/Art Ross/Richard/Hart trophy candidates…when’s the last time a roster player while on the Sens not named Alfie or Spez made an NHL First or Second team? Or even made the all-star game?

I support the team and always will, but I don’t support these players just because they have been here forever — perhaps that’s the issue; they have just been here too long.

Rebuilds are a must, and every team in the NHL goes through it at one point — think Detroit won’ t have issues when Lidstrom hangs them up? Think NJD won’t be in trouble without Brodeur?

If the team is honestly trying to win a cup for Alfie, look three/four years down the road at his last year rather than his current year because it ain’t happening if Alfie is leading Michaluk, Kovalev, Regin, Neil, Ruutu, Fisher, Phillips, Neil, Kuba, Campoli, etc.

He’s lost more than a step. Move him at the deadline for a pick or prospect, or package him with a pick to get a solid forward prospect/higher pick. The worst case scenario would be a panic move at the deadline and signing him to Kuba-esque deal. His rep/experience/expiring deal should be enticing to more than a few teams out there.

Same goes for Ruutu, Kovalev, or just about anyone with an expiring contract. Straight up, this team is going nowhere this year. I don’t feel like watching us get waxed as an 8-seed either.

If we can’t move him, someone in the organization might have to man up and do the humane thing….http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDZmveLXPTE

/commenting cherry: popped. really enjoy the site.

Yes, Cowen and Rundblad might not be fully ready next year, but maybe its time to recognize we are going to have a couple rough seasons, and it’ll be time to play the youth. It has worked in other places, and even though youth brings inconsistency, it brings hope.

I’m worried about this franchise. I think we need a bit of a rebuild and the cap room coming, and expiring management/coaching contracts combined with a poor season thus far points to now being the perfect time. But with (many) sens fans ALREADY not showing up to games, I worry what it will be like should we rebuild. And I think our only hope is to come out, admit it, and play the youth, and hope fans go for the hope factor.

If he wants to stay long-term and cheap with a diminished role, do it. If he wants to go to free agency, trade him at the deadline for anything of value.

if phillips agrees to sign with us at 2m/yr on a 4y contract with the knowledge that his roll WILL reduce soon, then why in the shit hell not??? think about who else we have at 2m/y… CHRIS NEIL, CHRIS KELLY, KUBA @ 3.7?! jeebus. 2mil is a GREAT deal for chris phillips. unfortunately we’re stuck with sergei’s 5.5 as nobody will take that off our hands, but despite phillips’ bad year thus far (and i’ve hate on the man as much or more than all ya’ll) at 2m a season he’s MORE than worth it. at 32 years old, he’s still got a good 4 more years left in him. mind you at the end of that term he’ll be the third pairing man.. but i think the main point here is that he’s not first pairing pedigree.. he’s not up to the task of locking down top lines. well at 2m a year, i don’t think he’s supposed to. think of all the best shut down d men in the league.. anybody better than phillips will EASILY be getting 3-4m/y.

we can’t seriously just plug in all of our young guns an suddenly assume that it’s a good idea. why would you do that? no you have vets around to mentor the youngens and show them what’s up. what better mentor than chris phillips? his KNOWLEDGE of what he’s SUPPOSED to do is no doubt excellent, and though he may not be able to execute as well as he once did, he would definitely be a huge asset for someone like jared cowen. he played with chara. he played with volchencov. hell he was a huge asset too. besides, what if the kids suck? if we get rid of phillips for something short of ABSOLUTELY EXTRAORDINARY, who will do as good of a job in his stead at 2m or less? i agree heavily with peter that you guys are seriously undervaluing him. i have a good mind to think that he could get 4mil on the market still. and if he gets the offer, he absolutely should. but if he agrees to stay here for 4 more years at 2m a piece and we don’t take it? absolute idiocy. in 3 years, we could have something like:
karlsson-cowen (1st pairing)
rundblad- x (2nd pairing) x = GET SHEA WEBERRRRR!!!! or maybe if weircoch works..
phillips- x (3rd pairing) x = carkner or whoever (i’m always pulling for carkner..)

that’s a stud defensive line. phillips at 35 vs 3rd and 4th lines would be great, or at least i think so.

Last I checked the poll was when it had about 60 votes, and about 70% of the votes where in the top two categories. In other words, the vast majority of people were saying to sign him. A couple days later, there’s almost 500 votes, and there’s been a huge upswing in “Trade him” votes. Noting, of course, that a loss happened in between the two times I checked. What’s surprising is that the most moderate option is to sign him to a short term deal, and that’s become less popular.