Photo Credit: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
New Lehigh Valley Phantoms Head Coach in Ian Laperrière said after a game earlier in the season of Morgan Frost, “He (Morgan Frost) was physical,” Laperrière said. “I just talked to him before I got up here and he felt great. He was a little bit tired, like I gave him quite a bit of ice-time, which I wanted to test him in different situations I would like to see him in, and management would like to see him too. I thought he looked great…He’s such a smart player, he can adjust. I’m just happy for him that he put the work in.”
One of the reasons Morgan Frost was sent back to Lehigh earlier in the season was to build confidence, “I think having him go down to Lehigh Valley and play, play a lot and play every situation for Lappy will benefit him,” Flyers’ General Manager Chuck Fletcher said. “Allow him to get his timing back and his confidence back. The next time you see him, he’ll be a vastly improved player.”
Being sent back was puzzling
Frost was assertive with his decision making, and he was quite effective right before the All-Star break even though the production wasn’t there. His line of Max Willman and Gerry Mayhew were effective for the orange and black, and they formed one of the most consistent lines for a team that was struggling to win games before the break. He was oozing with confidence, physical, and more often than not making tape to tape passes.
His shot was highly accurate, to which that is exactly what Fletcher wanted to see at training camp, “I think we wanted to give Morgan every opportunity to show what he could do,” Fletcher said. “We played him with good player. We played him in important situations. I think the best thing for him long term is to play and play in an environment where he can get his confidence. It’s the best thing for him. It’s the best thing for us. We went into it in good faith and wanted to give him that opportunity.”
So why would the Flyers not recall Frost once the break ended? NHL Taxi Squads are no longer, so playing time is crucial for a young prospects development, according to Yeo, “We want to keep pushing them to find that next level,” Flyers interim head coach Mike Yeo said this past Tuesday. “It’s just part of the process.”
Yeo continued, “Their development is still first and foremost. The experience of being up here and playing with us I think has been invaluable for them and I think we’ve seen improvement in both of their games. But also it’s a different experience as far as playing a little bit of a lesser role at different times, getting a little bit less ice time.”
In hindsight, Yeo is absolutely correct about playing time in regards to a young prospect, such as Cam York, however, Frost has nothing more to prove at the AHL level. He produces and shows his confidence for the Phantoms. He needs adequate playing in the NHL, as it may hinder his development to further grow his game.
It shouldn’t have taken, yet again Derick Brassard missing tonight’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins a reason to recall Frost. Frist is being treated like a yo-yo, especially if Brassard is healthy enough to play on Thursday. So I ask this question, if Frost plays well tonight, and Brassard plays on Thursday. Would this force the Flyers hand to keep Frost up for the rest of the season? Probably not, and that herein lies the problem.
Frost is a prospect that has top six abilities. Fletcher originally said he didn’t want Frost to be a yo-yo, and if he was recalled to the Flyers then Frost would be up for good. Well, well, well, he is being treated like a yo-yo now it appears, so much for that. Fletcher said playing time, and reps were a major factor in sending down Morgan Frost and Cam York for that matter:
“I just think there’s a lot of times we rush these kids and we don’t give them a chance to fully develop.” – Chuck Fletcher GM of the Flyers said at his presser over a week ago
So what gives? Why recall him now? What changed in a short amount of time…nothing, do this young man some justice, and keep him up for good this time. There is absolutely nothing to lose at this point.
Frost has been one of the best skaters for a depleted Phantoms team, who have been decimated by injuries. It’s not easy replacing Tyson Foerster, Linus Sandin, German Rubtsov at times, and Wade Allison on a nightly basis. His confidence is back, and confidence is key for everyone no matter what you do in life. After only playing in a handful of organized hockey games in a year and a half due to his prior injury. It was understandable for Frost to tighten his stick, or put a lot of pressure for him to succeed offensively. The lack of confidence appears to be a thing of the past for Frost.
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