What Should The Philadelphia Flyers Do With Morgan Frost’s Next Contract?

As the calendar gets closer to August, most teams will have their rosters filled out. Marquee free agents have been signed and most depth players have either agreed to deals before their arbitration cases or simply accepted their qualifying offers. The Flyers did this with numerous players after handing out those offers to five players.

Four of those players have signed new deals heading into next season. Noah Cates, Cam York, Olle Lycksell, and Ronnie Attard are the players who are currently on board. That leaves Morgan Frost as the last restricted free agent who is still in need of a new deal. So what’s taking so long? Qualifying offers were handed out in mid-June while the signings took place in the weeks following. Attard was the first to sign, followed by Cates, York, and Lycksell.

The four above players all signed to two-year contracts. For Cates and York, the contracts are bridge deals. The Flyers have seen what each can do and are impressed from the sample sizes. With their rebuild expected to take around three or more years, contracts with that timeline give them the opportunity to see if said players can be a part of the ongoing future. Lycksell and Attard have limited NHL time, though will be vying for spots next season. A two-year deal for each gives them time to continue developing while gaining more experience.

In Frost’s case, things are a little bit different. He is the veteran of that group despite being only 24 years old. He has appeared in 158 career games spread over four different seasons. Injuries have cost him, this season being the first he played in almost every game at the NHL level. He lost the 2020-21 season after a shoulder injury and only played 20 games with the Flyers the season before.

Despite his still small sample size at the NHL level, it felt like he didn’t have a lot of time left to show the Flyers what he was capable of. Consistency and confidence has always been the name of the game for him. When he has it, it’s clear in his play. He produces more often and is more comfortable with the puck on his stick. And when the confidence is low, it shows even more in his play.

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So when John Tortorella talked about needing to find out what the Flyers’ younger prospects can do, Frost was likely chomping at the bit with the opportunity that was going to come his way. He knew where he stood in this organization.

"“I know the situation I’m in. I’m trying to do the right things, whether it’s making more plays or be a little bit more reliable defensively,” Frost said back in March. “I think even faceoffs too, I know my faceoffs have been pretty terrible all year. Just really trying to hone in on that now and show that I can play a complete game. I wanna be here in the future, so every game is important.”"

After not playing much in his first two years, Frost appeared in 55 games games during the 2021-22 season. He did shuffle back and forth between the NHL and AHL, posting five goals and 16 points with the Flyers. He found some chemistry with Owen Tippett and ended the season on a strong note. Philadelphia believed in him enough to bring him back on what was essential a one-year “prove it” deal. If he didn’t live up to expectations, it would be no big deal and they could cut ties.

He did rather well with his new opportunity, going from a comparison to “a toilet seat” to gaining the trust of his coach and earning more playing time by the end of the season. He shattered career highs in goals (19), assists (27), and points (46). His 81 games in one season were the most he played when compared to the last three seasons combined. Frost improved as the year went on and the points were piling up as the calendar turned to January and beyond.