The Los Angeles Kings have signed Markus Phillips to a three-year entry-level contract, a nice reward for a player who has helped the Guelph Storm reach the OHL Final. Phillips is set to take on the Ottawa 67’s starting Thursday evening for a chance to attend the 2019 Memorial Cup.
Phillips, 20, has been an excellent contributor to the Storm after a midseason trade from the Owen Sound Attack, and could potentially jump to the professional ranks next season. While still eligible for another year in the OHL, his development may warrant a place on the Ontario Reign of the AHL instead.
Selected in the fourth round in 2017, Phillips has routinely outperformed some of the players drafted ahead of him and even forced himself onto Team Canada at the recent World Juniors. A solid puck-mover, he actually seemed to give up some of that offensive ability for a more well-rounded approach this season, something that will carry over well to the next step of his career. He may still be a few years from contributing at the NHL level, but Kings fans should be excited about getting anything from a player drafted in the middle rounds. That’s the exact type of player they’ll need as they attempt a rebuild.
CapFriendly reports that the breakdown of the deal is as follows:
2018-19: $700k base salary, $77.5K signing bonus
2019-20: $700k base salary, $77.5K signing bonus
2020-21: $750k base salary, $85K signing bonus, $15K in performance bonuses