When Craig Conroy was asked last weekend about how the Calgary Flames might improve next season without signing any big-name free agents, his answer came down to young players stepping up. Read More
The Flames have signed Frost to a two-year contract extension that will pay him US$4.375 million per season. You might call it a “prove it” contract.
The Flames have signed Frost to a two-year contract extension that will pay him US$4.375 million per season. You might call it a “prove it” contract.
Article content
When Craig Conroy was asked last weekend about how the Calgary Flames might improve next season without signing any big-name free agents, his answer came down to young players stepping up.
Article content
Morgan Frost’s name was one of the first he mentioned.
Article content
Article content
The message was loud and clear, and Frost didn’t miss it.
Article content
“I don’t even think I would need to be told that, to be honest,” Frost said. “I think I know that I need to put up a little bit more and I know that I’m capable of it. In the back of my mind, it was obviously frustrating for me in the time that I was in Calgary.
Article content
Story continues below
Article content
“I played some good hockey but wasn’t putting up the numbers and then at the end of the season, it obviously doesn’t look very good. I’m excited to come back and have a good training camp and a full season and do some good things and help the team win.”
Article content
Noon News Roundup
Article content
On Thursday, the Flames officially announced that they signed Frost to a two-year contract extension that will pay him US$4.375 million per season. You might call it a “prove it” contract. The deal gives the 26-year-old Frost two more seasons to prove he can be a real offensive driver for the Flames and hopefully earn himself a long and lucrative contract afterward.
Article content
And there’s definitely evidence that he can be a guy who puts up points. He scored 19 times and added 27 assists in 2022-23 for the Philadelphia Flyers and put up 41 points the next season.
Article content
When he was acquired in January by the Flames alongside Joel Farabee in the trade that sent Andrei Kuzmnko and Jakob Pelletier the other way, though, the numbers dropped off.
Article content
Story continues below
Article content
In 32 games down the stretch for the Flames, Frost scored only three times and added nine assists. For a guy whose greatest gift as a player is his ability to create offence, that’s obviously pretty underwhelming.
Article content
“I mean, when you’re kind of labelled as an offensive guy obviously you want to put up points,” Frost said. “I was put in a lot of situations to succeed and put on the power-play and stuff like that. The way people talk about it, too, if you put up numbers, especially in the media it’s going to be a bit more positive, so it’s something you want to do.
Article content
“From an individual standpoint, I wanted to do more offensively but we were winning games. That was a team effort in the time I was there for the end of the season, I was just happy to be a part of that.”
Article content
There’s reason to feel optimistic that Frost can bounce back and produce more next season. His playing style wasn’t a great fit with the way then-Flyers coach John Tortorella likes his teams to play, and there’s hope that a full training camp with the Flames will bring out the best in him.