Take a name out of the NHL Trade Deadline mix, as Chris Phillips signs a two-year extension with the Ottawa Senators worth $5 million ($2.5 million AAV). For a defensive defenceman of Phillips ability, this seems like a steal for Ottawa.
Phillips, his agent, and Senators general manager Bryan Murray were said to be working on a deal for weeks. There was a chance that Phillips, who was set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, could have been traded by the Senators if a deal was not done. After the departure of Daniel Alfredsson last summer, Phillips is the longest serving current member of the team.
The 35-year-old Phillips was the Senators first round pick, first overall, in the 1996 NHL Draft. He has one goal and 12 assists in 13 games this season. He has spent his entire 16-year NHL career with the Senators, scoring 71 goals, and 212 assists for 283 points in 1125 career NHL games.
The Senators currently sit four points out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, there would have to pass four teams over the last 20 games of the season to make the playoffs.
The deal includes a no-trade clause.
In other Senators news, the team also made a trade prior to the deadline, adding Ales Hemsky.
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