The Calgary Flames will officially have AHL scoring leader Matthew Phillips in the lineup for their Saturday night matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs in place of veteran forward Milan Lucic.
Phillips will play on the third line with Mikael Backlund and Adam Ružička.
After being called up to the team on Thursday, many thought the 24-year-old forward was going to make his debut Friday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Instead, head coach Darryl Sutter opted for the bigger Radim Zohorna for his team's first reunion with Johnny Gaudreau.
With the AHL's Calgary Wranglers, Phillips has 30 points and 15 goals in 20 games – the highest point total in the league.
The five-foot-seven, 155-pound forward has been a popular topic among Flames fans this season, especially given his hot start in the AHL.
Calgary put forth a disappointing effort on Friday night during its reunion with Gaudreau and will be hoping Phillips can provide a spark in the second game of its three-game eastern road trip.
Lucic, a 16-year veteran, has struggled to find his footing with the Flames this season. He has appeared in all 27 games for Calgary this season and has yet to score a goal and has just five assists.
You can catch Phillips make his season debut on Hockey Night in Canada and SN NOW at 7 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. MT.
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