Breaking: Avalanche ink Matthew Phillips

Another late offseason signing gets done as Colorado adds a two-way contracted forward to their roster.

After adding Oliver Kylington to their roster just four days ago, the Colorado Avalanche continue to collect players late into the offseason as they sign forward Matthew Phillips to a one-year two-way deal that carries an AAV of $775k with a $287.5k minors salary.

The 26-year old winger played for both the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL during the 2023-24 season after being claimed on waivers several times, along with the Capitals’ affiliate Hershey Bears in the AHL. Between both the Capitals and the Penguins, Phillips played 31 games and totaled one goal and four assists in those games. With the Hershey Bears, he played nine games and totaled three goals and three assists and only six games in their championship playoff run with no points as well.

While his NHL stats of a career five points in 34 games might not jump off the page for lack of a better term, Phillips has been a phenomenal scorer in the AHL in the past couple of years. During the 2022-23 season, he played 66 games for the Calgary Wranglers and put up 36 goals and 76 points during that time. The year prior to that, the 2021-22 season, he played 65 games for the Stockton Heat and put up 31 goals and 68 points during that season.

Given that information, Phillips’ role in the organization might very well end up being a type of ‘safety blanket’ depth player. Meaning that while he might at least be given an opportunity to compete for a fourth-line winger position with the NHL team, he might also very well end up in the AHL, and be one of those players who is expected to carry the scoring for the Colorado Eagles along with fellow five-foot-eight forward TJ Tynan.