The Philadelphia Flyers have started the 2023-24 season on a high note, posting a 3-1 record and playing some of the best hockey they’ve displayed in years. Though the roster battle that the team voluntarily entered the season with has taken a surprising turn with 24-year-old Morgan Frost ending up as the recent odd man out.
It’s really no secret Torts hasn’t been the biggest fan of Morgan Frost. His leash has been short with him since the start of last season. And after an offseason where everyone who opposed Tortorella got shipped out of town or demoted to the AHL, the fact Frost remained on the roster at all is a borderline miracle.
Frost, entering his fifth NHL campaign, registered 19 goals and 46 points last season, both personal bests and put him at third and fourth on the team in each respective category. A late-season push (and a combined eight points in two games against the Coyotes) helped him climb the ranking after a mediocre start.
It was a solid push, but there’s no resting on laurels when John Tortorella is the head coach.
He played the first two games of the season against the Blue Jackets and Senators, and was their least impressive forward in the process, and the Torts “accountability” factor came to collect. The Flyers have won both games in dominating fashion since Frost’s scratching.
Sean Couturier’s return and the addition of Ryan Poehling was just about guaranteed to box out Frost. The overflowing depth on the wings means Scott Laughton can move back to center to open a spot for one of the young wingers to play every night. And what do Couturier, Cates, Laughton and Poehling all have in common? A strong two-way game, the key to John Tortorella’s cold heart, which ostracizes Frost even further as that has been an aspect of his game that has never quite been up to snuff.
Also worth noting there may be some sour feelings from the front office and coaching staff from Frost’s delayed contract extension. He didn’t sign his deal until September 6, the last restricted free agent the Flyers signed and one of the last in the league to ink a new deal. It wouldn’t be the first time a bitter contract battle upset the realtionship between player and team.
John Tortorella always talks about earning it, and plain and simple, if Frost was as good as a fragment of the fanbase thinks he is, he’d be playing. There’s still some lingering high expectations for Frost. Once upon a time he was christened “Claude Giroux jr.” as their junior careers took similar paths, but Frost’s run at the professional level has been largely underwhelming. He’s got 26 career NHL goals and 69 points in 160 games played.
The reality is Frost a random middle-six 50-point guy on a roster filled with random middle-six 50-point guys who are all more defensively responsible than he is. He’s not a bad player, and you can validly argue he hasn’t been used to his fullest potential, but there’s absolutely nothing that he brings to the table that makes him stand out above the crowd, especially if he’s pushed down the depth chart away from the best forwards on the team to form that symbiotic relationship with.
He’ll surely draw back into the lineup sooner or later, but it’s clear he’s going to remain on a short leash if he doesn’t step up his game. Maybe Tortorella doesn’t like him because his style doesn’t fit what Frost excels at, but that’s just what the organization is stuck with at the moment. Adapt or perish under King Torts.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
photo credit: nhl.com
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