Morgan Frost

At this early juncture in the 2023-24 NHL season, a look at Philadelphia Flyers center Morgan Frost’s stat line might raise some eyebrows. Despite putting together a breakout season of sorts in 2022-23 and being entirely healthy so far this year, Frost has played in just three total contests, tied for the fewest among Flyers skaters this season.

This has led to speculation in some parts that the Flyers might be looking to trade Frost, 24, as his six consecutive games spent as a healthy scratch would seem to indicate that he no longer held a place in the Flyers’ long-term plans.

That speculation appears to not be grounded in the reality of the situation, though, according to a report from The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz. (subscription link) Kurz reports from a league source that the Flyers ” aren’t looking to move” Frost to another team, and “haven’t engaged in any serious discussions” on a Frost trade. Moreover, Kurz adds that the Flyers still view [Frost] as one of the young players they want to grow with the organization” as the team continues its rebuilding plan.

It appears that Frost’s lengthy stay in the press box was more due to the newfound depth the Flyers have at the center position rather than any mistake Frost had made in the two games he played to start the season.

With Sean Couturier once again healthy, the Flyers boast a deep group of pivots that also includes veteran Scott Laughton and Noah Cates.

Couturier is inarguably the team’s top center, but the issue for Frost has been more about Laughton and Cates. Both players scored at a comparable rate to Frost last season while also providing considerably more on the defensive side of the equation.

Laughton is a widely respected veteran with a well-known commitment to two-way hockey, while Cates was so impressive in his rookie season that he even garnered consideration on the Selke Trophy ballot.

With offseason signing Ryan Poehling offering more speed and grit than Frost could provide centering Garnet Hathaway and Nicolas Deslauriers on the Flyers’ fourth line, it becomes easier to see why Frost hasn’t been able to crack head coach John Tortorella’s nightly lineup.

Tortorella did get Frost back into the mix for their last game, placing him in the second-line center role between Travis Konecny and Tyson Foerster. That shifted Laughton down to the fourth line and Poehling to the press box, and it’ll be interesting to see whether the Flyers stick with that arrangement or choose to return Frost to healthy scratch status.

In any case, the Flyers’ decent 4-4-1 start has been partly off the back of their increased depth at the center position. It’s that depth — rather than any desire to make a change-of-scenery trade, according to Kurz’s reporting — that has caused Frost’s frequent healthy scratches so far this season.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Flyers forward Morgan Frost is one of just nine remaining restricted free agents across the NHL with training camps set to open up over the next couple of weeks.  However, it appears as if he won’t be unsigned for much longer as team president Keith Jones told Chuck Basuman of Philly Hockey Now that while a deal isn’t done yet, the two sides are close to an agreement.

The 24-year-old was a first-round pick by Philadelphia back in 2017 (27th overall) and has had a more gradual development curve than many other first-rounders in his draft class.  Last season was his fourth year of seeing NHL action but it was his first full campaign at the top level.  Frost certainly made the most of it, notching 19 goals and 27 assists in 81 games, good for fourth on the team in scoring.

However, those numbers account for the bulk of Frost’s production as he had just 23 points in 77 games heading into last season.  Accordingly, his track record lends itself toward a short-term bridge contract and not a long-term agreement that buys the Flyers some extra years of club control.  Such an agreement could check in around the $2.5MM range.

Going that approach would also fit in with Philadelphia’s salary cap structure.  At the moment, they have a little under $3MM in base cap room per CapFriendly.  Yes, they have the ability to go into LTIR with Ryan Ellis’ contract but if they can stay below the cap and bank cap space in-season, that would be preferable, especially if some of their prospects with performance bonuses play their way onto the roster.

With the Flyers entering a true rebuild under new GM Daniel Briere, they’ll be turning things over more to their young core.  Frost is certainly a big part of that and if Jones’ statement holds true, Frost should be signed before much longer, allowing him to be a full participant from day one in camp.

The Philadelphia Flyers have completed a little more restricted free agent work, signing Morgan Frost to a one-year, one-way contract worth $800K. Frost was not yet eligible for arbitration and had little leverage in negotiations.

This is something of a “show me” deal for the 23-year-old forward, who hasn’t been able to find much consistency at the NHL level to this point. In 77 career games, he has 23 points, though those have been spread over three seasons and haven’t been noticeable enough to really cement him as a true building block for the future.

In fact, some would argue that his development has been so scarred by constant bouncing between the AHL and NHL that Frost will never become the cerebral offensive dynamo that the Flyers hoped for when they made him the 27th overall pick in 2017. He did have 19 points in 24 games at the AHL level this season but even there his game was marred with inconsistency.

Still, having only turned 23 in May, there is still time to turn it around. If given the opportunity this season Frost might still be able to turn into a full-time contributor, and since Philadelphia’s big moves in free agency have been more geared toward bottom-six help, there could be an opening higher in the lineup. If he wants to be an impact player in the NHL this is the season to prove it.