With all the talk on social media regarding the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, there is one name that captures the interest of fans more than others: Morgan Frost. So far, fans are experiencing a lot of, “ask and you shall receive,” as call ups have been made for the most requested Joel Farabee (Winger), Phillipe Myers (Defense), and German Rubstov (Center). Since Rubstov, didn’t find the success that Farabee and Myers did, fans have been calling on Morgan Frost to be the Center that saves the fourth line.
In my last installment of, “From the Glass,” I said Morgan Frost had room to improve. Now, Frost is making me eat my words and I couldn’t be happier. With 12 points (5 G, 7 A) in 13 games, he leads the team in points and goals.
Frost’s first few games in Allentown were nothing more than average; he was making an equal number of good plays and bad but couldn’t connect with the net. He went the first three games of the season without recording a single point, but the floodgates opened when his first point was just one of a 3 point game and his first professional goal came the following day. Since then, Frost rode a seven game point streak lasting from October 18th to November 6th.
It’s been a treat to see Frost find himself in the AHL, but even better to watch him slowly start to dominate. With his recent success, it isn’t shocking that fans are yelling his name from every rooftop in Philadelphia.
It seems that the only person not calling his name is Chuck Fletcher. In conversations I’ve had on twitter, I’ve noticed that while some people are more patient than others, everyone seems to want Frost in the NHL. As someone who watches him play sometimes multiple times per week, let me tell you my insight on this.
The Flyers are short at the Center position with Nolan Patrick and Scott Laughton injured. Morgan Frost is a Center. Perfect match, right? Wrong. Frost is not a fourth line player so while the Flyers have a hole in the fourth line, it shouldn’t and likely will not be filled by Frost.
As the name of the game changes to speed, Frost will become a huge player of value to the Flyers’ organization but, due to his size and the availability in the Flyers’ lineup, he just isn’t the match the team is looking for at this given time. A season in the AHL will be beneficial for him to improve his game and a good opportunity to show immense improvement at the next camp when the roster is less set in stone.
With the ongoing success of the Flyers and Phantoms, it’s unlikely we see too much movement between the two teams. However, the Flyers are playing the top two teams in the division this week and things could very well change but the Flyers on a 4 game win streak tells me something is working. For now, my advice to fans is allow Frost to blow up the AHL. When the time is right, he’ll get the call whether it be sudden 3C availability or him earning a spot out of camp to start next season. His time will come but it is simply not right now.
