All the more reason for the Senators to lock him up before his stock rose in the playoffs. Slated to be an unrestricted free agent July 1, the 6-3, 216-pound Phillips would have been a highly sought-after commodity. Instead, he re-signed with the only NHL club he's ever played for. At US$14 million over four years, one could argue he also gave the Sens the hometown discount at $3.5 million a year, particularly given some of the new deals signed this season - most notably
Eric Brewer's $4.25-million a year deal in St. Louis.
So is this 14 mil well spent by Ottawa...