Morgan Frost hoping to seize ‘the opportunity’ of finishing the season with the Flyers
Frost, who has yo-yoed back and forth between the NHL and AHL, is no longer eligible to return to the Phantoms following Monday's roster deadline.
DETROIT, Mich. -- Morgan Frost’s commute from Lehigh Valley to Philadelphia is officially done for the rest of the season.
When the trade deadline came and passed Monday, Frost was still on the Flyers roster, eliminating the option of him returning to the Phantoms. General manager Chuck Fletcher said he made that decision because he felt Frost had “paid his dues.” Now, Frost needs to “embrace the opportunity,” interim coach Mike Yeo said.
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“It’s a nice kind of little vote of confidence,” Frost said. “[But] it doesn’t really matter if I don’t do anything with the opportunity.”
Frost had gone back and forth between the two teams four times this season. Both Yeo and Frost have mentioned that he’s struggled with consistency and confidence during that time. The 22-year-old Frost has two goals and eight points in 35 games with the Flyers this season.
While the stability of Frost staying up is a great opportunity, Yeo said, it can also place a lot of pressure on Frost. He talked to him about not placing too much pressure on himself and realizing one mistake won’t make or break his NHL career. Frost seems to have embraced that and has looked more confident recently. The positivity and encouragement has boosted Frost, as have his line partners.
Frost has familiarity with newcomer Owen Tippett, who he played against when he was younger. His other winger, Oskar Lindblom, is someone who “brings out the best in everybody,” Yeo said. That goes back to Lindblom being a good guy who makes people smile, Frost said.
“For me, personally, I think I’ve played my best when I’m kind of just having fun and playing with a smile on my face,” Frost said.
A weight lifted
As one of the veteran free agents on the team, Martin Jones knew he could possibly be moved at the trade deadline. He also knew he had no control over the situation, so he tried not to think about it. That said, he couldn’t avoid feeling anxious.
“The day [of the deadline] was probably the worst,” Jones said. “You know, you just want to know what’s going to happen.”
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Jones knew his agent was talking to teams who were interested, but he said there’s a lot that he wouldn’t know about unless a deal was done. He described it as a period of “waiting and seeing.”
“And, obviously, it’s a relief that it’s over and I can just focus on the rest of the season,” Jones said.
The veteran goalie said he’ll be looking to have a strong finish, personally, and hopes the team will as well.
Breakaways
The Flyers hope to get Scott Laughton and Nate Thompson back before the end of the trip. Laughton (concussion) has a doctor’s appointment in St. Louis, where the Flyers will be next. Thompson has an appointment in Vail, Colorado. The Flyers will be in Colorado on Friday. ... Yeo said he’s happy for Braun and Brassard, who got traded at the deadline to the New York Rangers and the Edmonton Oilers, respectively. He looks forward to seeing them compete in the playoffs, and he said he thinks the rest of the team feels the same way.