Chris Phillips Staying in Ottawa for Three Years

The Ottawa Senators made it very clear they want to rebuild.

Most fans expect that a rebuild indicates throwing out the baby with the bathwater, sending all expiring contract and veteran players to contenders in return for anything young. However, this Senators team would prefer to rebuild with Chris Phillips, as indicated by re-signing him for three years, worth an estimated $9.25 million dollars. In the midst of selling off such staples as Mike Fisher, Chris Kelly and Brian Elliott, the team wants to keep Phillips a Sen for presumably the rest of his career.

Although this season could be classified as a “down year” *insert minus-25 joke*, Phillips brings a stability for a young defensive core. While he greatly misses longtime partner Anton Volchenkov, he should be an excellent mentor for Erik Karlsson, Andre Benoit and possibly David Rundblad next season.

As a former first overall pick, the Sens continue to be happy with their selection from back in 1996 and keep Phillips as they lock up a part of their legacy.

Some people may see a rebuilding team and think re-signing a 32-year-old does not make sense. For fans in Ottawa, they likely stay in the seats to watch one of the best players in franchise history mentor the youth. At roughly $3 million dollars per year, this move looks like a steal.

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