I think he has been consistent in the AHL this year, but a little up and down in the NHL games he played. Some of it comes down to lines and minutes, but as I said, he needs to try to be his best every shift. Last night the compete was there. If he does the same level of effort in a game where he's held off the scoresheet, then I suspect that is what Sutter would want to see.
I'm not going to get too high on this game, as every line dominated. It won't happen every night. He got PP time because he deserved it. He worked the puck to start the play that resulted in his goal. But I saw similar effort on other plays. He made a nice one in the D zone.
It's difficult to stay in the roster. You need to prove you belong there. Doesn't just mean scoring a goal. Means that you are doing the things when you are not scoring. A good forecheck. A hit that disrupts a play. A simple play to chip the puck out of harm, where you get time to regroup. Details.
Some people may suggest that bringing up Phillips or Gawdin might generate more offense with him, but I think that is risky. Get him to the level he needs to be first. Can't spend time working on a line in-game because you have multiple rookies all at different levels. If illness/injury makes that necessary, then you work with what you have.