Blackhawks Send Isaak Phillips to AHL

The Chicago Blackhawks have sent defenseman Isaak Phillips back down to the AHL. This move should be in anticipation of veteran Alec Martinez returning to the lineup ahead of the team’s next game on Nov. 14.

Phillips didn’t make the Blackhawks out of training camp, but has been with the team a couple of times already this season.

The 23-year-old has played well when he has gotten his chance, but there are a lot of players vying for spots and playing time in Chicago. Phillips has played two games for the Rockford IceHogs this season and three for the Blackhawks. He scored a goal, which was the second of his career, this season with Chicago.

Phillips seems like the defenseman that will be recalled first when the Blackhawks are in need of an extra body on the back-end. Given the potential of a lot of the other young defensemen around him, he has found himself in a spot where he jumps back and forth in the organization.

Related: Return Dates for Blackhawks’ Martinez & Brossoit Pushed Back

He played 29 games in Rockford and 33 in Chicago last season, but there were fewer veterans who play every day on the roster.

Phillips is a solid piece for the Blackhawks to have at their disposal, but in the last year of his contract, his future is a bit uncertain. He is a RFA at the end of the season, but unless he takes a spot in the NHL over a veteran and really makes strides, he could be a trade candidate.

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