Morgan Frost Could Be a Long-Term Fit for the Flyers

At first glance, Frost’s inclusion on these lists makes plenty of sense. The 24-year-old has only played in 39 of Philadelphia’s 50 games this season. That’s not because of injury — head coach John Tortorella has healthy scratched Frost 11 times, including as recently as Jan. 4. He’s scoring at the same pace almost an identical pace (0.567 points per game in 2022-23, 0.564 in 2023-24), so it may seem like he’s plateauing. It was certainly fair for Sportsnet to place Frost on its trade list at the time. And The Athletic’s inclusion of Frost shows the national perception of Frost hasn’t changed during January.

But it should be. Not only is Frost playing well, he seems to be back in the organization’s good graces. Combine that with some recent developments that make the Flyers’ future down the middle murkier, and Frost seems like a much-less-likely trade candidate than he was just a few weeks ago.

Frost’s Step Forward

As previously mentioned, the last time Tortorella sat Frost was Jan. 4 (alongside Cam Atkinson) against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Prior, Frost had been essentially guaranteed a spot as a regular due to Noah Cates suffering a broken foot. Between Cates’ injury in late November and Jan. 4, Frost put up seven points in 17 games and ranked sixth in ice-time among Flyers forwards, with less than 30 seconds separating Frost from the next three forwards behind him. Digging deeper, Frost was fourth among Flyers during this span with a 55.32% expected goals share and the Flyers outscored opponents 8-5 with him on the ice at 5-on-5. However, he still wasn’t satisfying Tortorella’s desires.

That changed in the days after the scratching. This time, Frost specifically asked to meet with his head coach to talk about the circumstances surrounding it. To some, it may seem like oversimplifying to say something so simple as a conversation could change things. But Tortorella isn’t just any head coach, and has a history of pushing players in hopes of lighting a fire under them. To Tortorella, Frost coming in to talk with him showed him there was a spark.

“For me, I was thrilled that he came in and wanted to talk, and gave me some of his thoughts, and not agreeing,” Tortorella said on Jan. 5. “That’s a huge step for me with Frosty, is him coming in and saying, ‘This is what I think.’ It’s so important that players do that. It creates a little path for him and I as we try to go through this.”

Since then, Frost has played arguably the best hockey of his career, even better than when he was Philadelphia’s leading scorer during the second half of last season. Frost has played in all 12 of the Flyers’ games since (even with Cates returning on Jan. 15) and is tied for the team lead in 11 points. Only Cates has a higher expected goals for percentage than Frost’s 64.45% mark and the Flyers are still outscoring opponents at 5-on-5 when Frost hops over the boards. Additionally, he’s helped elevate a once fledgling power-play that is now 13th in the NHL (25%) since he returned to the lineup, with his five power play points first on the Flyers.

It’s clear Tortorella is taking notice, too. Frost has cleared the 17-minute mark in time on ice four times since his one-on-one talk (or 33% of his games), something he’d done just six times in his first 27 games (22%).

Flyers Need Frost More Than They Used To

The questions about Frost’s long-term fit with the Flyers have been swirling almost from the moment he made his NHL debut back in November, 2019. Of course, the state of the organization has changed numerous times since then, so let’s evaluate how things have changed around Frost since the start of this season.

The status of three Philadelphia centers has significantly changed from where it was in October. Sean Couturier’s season has been close to the best-case scenario; the 31-year-old is scoring at around a 60-point pace and putting up the same Selke-Trophy-worthy defensive numbers he was before the two back surgeries that sidelined him for almost two full calendar years. Though his age makes his long-term fit questionable, Couturier is unquestionably a top-six center.

However, Cates has hit a snag in his sophomore season. After nailing the transition from wing to center last season — especially in the defensive end — Cates came out of the gates incredibly slow and then missed almost two months due to the aforementioned broken foot. Since returning, he’s played well but done so at left wing. If he took another step forward this year, Cates would’ve unquestionably been regarded as a quality full-time pivot. Instead, the jury’s still out on his long-term position.

And then there’s Cutter Gauthier. The potential first-line center of the future spurned the organization by refusing to sign with the Flyers, leading to the blockbuster trade that sent him to the Anaheim Ducks for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick. Suddenly, the Flyers’ pipeline down the middle looks bleak. Denver Barkey is having a great season in the Ontario Hockey League, but he’s 154 pounds and 18 years old, so he’s going to need some time. Elliot Desnoyers is having a nightmare second season in the American Hockey League and he never profiled as more than a third-liner anyway.

Frost’s Future in Philadelphia

Frost is no longer the obvious trade candidate he was even a month ago. His relationship with Tortorella is the best it’s ever been and some of the other players who looked to fill the void that he would leave if traded are less viable or total non-options now.

The Flyers also still have time on their side when it comes to evaluating Frost. He’s under contract at a modest $2.1 million cap hit through next season and he’ll be a restricted free agent (with arbitration rights) when that contract ends. Waiting will also give them more clarity on how some of those aforementioned prospects develop, not to mention Frost himself. His performance in January reminded everyone just how good he can be at his best, and if that’s the player he can be long-term, he’s something the Flyers can’t afford to throw away.