Opportunity knocks: Morgan Frost is Flyers’ center of attention

It has been a long, turbulent road for Morgan Frost. Drafted seven years, four head coaches and two general managers ago by the Philadelphia Flyers, Frost has been up, down and sideways throughout the organization. 

Whether it be through injuries, lack of confidence, a pandemic or the organizational overhaul, Frost’s time coming up with the Flyers has not been easy. With the team entering (officially) the second year of a rebuild and third consecutive season of emphasizing youth, it is the first season where Frost clearly has a niche carved out for him on opening night. Entering his eighth season as part of the Flyers organization, Frost’s mental preparation is different from years past.

“Just from a maturity standpoint, it’s a little bit different [entering this season] now that I’ve played two full seasons,” Frost told Daily Faceoff. “Having two full seasons [after a few back and forth years along with the pandemic-shortened 2021 season], I know what to expect and prepare a bit more; what to do to succeed.

“Maturity wise [there’s a change], but in general I don’t want to change too much. My game has been trending up and I want to keep building on that.”

Over the last two seasons, Frost has tallied 87 points in 152 regular-season games. He has averaged 47 points per 82 games over the last 24 months and is knocking on the door of being a consistent 50-point pivot – something that would land him in “top six” consideration league wide, assuming he can maintain that pace. 

Last season saw some pros and cons for Frost, acknowledging that he faced some heavy adversity. Being a healthy scratch several times and being benched in the final game last season, Frost knows he plays a risky game. But has been able to turn it into a positive. 

“Learning to pick my spots, when I should manage the puck,” said Frost. “I’ve tried to work hard on the defensive side – I think I’ve gotten better. Working on body and stick position in the defensive zone. 

“I’d like to shoot the puck a little bit more, too.”

It is no secret that the Flyers lack depth at center ice throughout the organization. Frost projects to start as the second-line center for the Flyers behind captain Sean Couturier. There is a clear path for Frost to cement himself as a focal point of this club down the middle – both in the present and for years to come. Frost wants to be a difference maker for this team, and he thinks he has been for stretches of time over the last two seasons; now it’s about finding a way to extrapolate it over a full season. 

The Flyers have defensive minded, depth centres in Couturier, Scott Laughton and Ryan Poehling, but they lack the high-end skill near the top of the lineup, one of the reasons why 18-year-old 2024 first-round pick Jett Luchanko made the team out of camp.

Frost himself recognizes the opportunity he has, and so does the Flyers’ brass.

“He’s in a great place, we’ve improved talent wise the last couple years with our younger players, including Morgan,” said president of hockey operations Keith Jones. “He’s in a position where he’s going to get a great opportunity to show his abilities. 

“If I was him I’d be pretty excited.”

This isn’t just the third year of Frost as a full-time NHLer, it’s also year three under Head Coach John Tortorella. Through the scratches, limited ice time and in-game benchings, a lot has been made between the relationship of Frost and Tortorella publicly. But despite the optics suggesting a major rift, the relationship is not nearly as turbulent as it’d appear; Frost’s growth over his time under “Torts” is indicative of that.

“I feel like I have a great relationship with Torts; he’s helped me grow up a lot,” Frost said. “Going through that adversity – I think I handled it well and that he respects that. I have a ton of respect for him and think he’s a great coach. He wants what is best for the team and he cares for the players so much.

“I really enjoy playing for him and think he’s done a great job for our team.”

Frost enters the season in a contract year. He signed a two year, $4.2 million deal in early September last year. The 25-year-old has only had short term, bridge contracts coming off of his entry-level deal, so one has to wonder if this will be his chance to lock in some security. But as he enters his (theoretical) prime, it isn’t something Frost is putting too much time into thinking about. First and foremost, his objective is to help the team.

One of the most exciting storylines going into the season for the Flyers is the arrival of 2023 seventh overall selection Matvei Michkov. Michkov, who will turn 20 in early December, did not disappoint in the preseason, leading the NHL with seven points in four games. Frost had a chance to play with Michkov a bit in the pre season and training camp, and while he may not be beside the Russian phenom all the time, the chance to play alongside him in any capacity is exciting. 

“You know how skilled he is and he’s really excited to be here; all the guys are really excited to have him,” Frost said. “His skill level is so high and hopefully I can be a guy who can help complement him in some way.”

Frost has taken significant steps in his game over the last 24 months. While battling to carve out a consistent spot on the roster prior to the 2022-23 campaign, Frost has since solidified himself as an everyday, top-nine player in the NHL. Back to back seasons with a 47 per 82 game pace is a massive step forward from where he was just coming out of the pandemic.

But now the goal posts have shifted, and a lateral season would, maybe to some, be looked at as a disappointment for Frost. The hope (and expectation) for Frost and the Flyers is for him to become a consistent, top-six pivot for this team. For Frost, he’s aware of what needs to be done to get there. 

“On the defensive side of the puck, I think I’ve gotten a lot better but I’d like to become one of the guys that can be trusted in the last couple of minutes,” said Frost. “Most of the time over the last two seasons that hasn’t really been my thing when we’re up a goal or two. I’d like to get more of the coaching staff’s trust in that area.

“One thing I can still work on [that I’ve already gotten better at] is not let my highs get too high and my lows get too low; just stay more even-keel. Just work as hard as I can to be a 200-foot player.”

The offense in Frost’s game could stand for a moderate step forward, but it’s clear that he is going to be focusing on the little details and defensive parts of his game in order to take the next step. Frost possesses a skill set that no other pivot on the roster – or in the organization – has, which gives him an inside track on locking down a top-six spot with the club. 

He is far from a perfect player, but the steps Frost has taken over the last two seasons are tangible. The player knows what he needs to work on, which is half the battle; now it’s time to execute. This will be a key season for the Flyers to continue to evaluate what they have with some of their core pieces, and entering the final year of his contract, Frost has a tremendous opportunity to carve out a long term, top-six role down the middle of the ice.