The Toronto Maple Leafs dressed John Tavares, Pontus Holmberg, Fraser Minten, and Steven Lorentz as their centres against the Golden Knights on Wednesday night. Couple this with Max Domi, Pontus Holmberg, and David Kampf leaving plenty to be desired down the middle this season. And now throw in the William Nylander at centre preseason experiment and looming Mitch Marner at centre option into the mix and it is safe to say that the Leafs can use a centre or two.
There is reason for optimism. The return of Auston Matthews seems to be near no matter how alarming visiting a German specialist might sound. Fraser Minten has been incredibly promising during his time in the Marlies and could end up being part of the immediate or long term solution for the Leafs, but the reality is there is still room for upgrades and that’s where Morgan Frost should spark at least a bit of interest for Brad Treliving.
Flyers and Morgan Frost feel as though they are headed toward a breakup
🔗 https://t.co/BhUdG0J4Il
— Kevin Kurz (@KKurzNHL) November 20, 2024
Morgan Frost and John Tortorella’s relationship has never been a strong one. Frost struggled to earn his coach’s trust at the beginning of the 2023-24 season and while he wound up putting together a strong season, this year Frost’s results have declined and once again the trust is eroding.
While the purpose of writing this is to suggest that Frost would be a viable candidate for the Leafs, it is worth noting that this season has included opportunities on the Flyers’ powerplay and playing most frequently with Owen Tippett, Matvei Michkov, and Travis Konecny, and the results so far are one goal, and six points in 16 games. Frost isn’t good at the moment.
Frost’s results so far are actually pretty much what the Leafs have gotten out of Max Domi, so making the case for doubling down and bringing in another Domi option at centre might be a tough sell, but nevertheless, I’ll make a bit of a case for why Frost is worth some consideration.
At a $2.1M AAV, Frost’s price is pretty darn good. With Calle Jarnkrok month-to-month on the LTIR, this is a dollar-for-dollar replacement that doesn’t put too much pressure on the Leafs cap.
At 25 years old, Frost is young and can have a future with the Leafs if the change of scenery pans out. While not a prospect, Frost is a younger NHLer option that Toronto has strayed away from in recent trades and signings, and having someone who can potentially be a longer term option as well as a short term solution has some appeal if it pans out.
If Frost could perform under Tortorella he can probably perform under Berube. Things aren’t going well this year, but Frost was a 40-point player last season at about 15 minutes a night that addresses the Leafs’ need for some secondary offence at the same time as bringing in another natural centre.
The numbers show promise. Over the past three seasons Frost has been a decent bottom six option at centre and his two-way numbers are favourable enough to put him in third line situations, acknowledging that he probably should get off the ice when the opposition’s top offensive unit comes on.
He was a capable defensive zone player in junior and while that hasn’t materialized much in the NHL yet, that can be an ongoing project for Frost, but the reality is the Leafs have Holmberg, Minten, and Kampf to fill that void and a bit more offence is the priority.
While his goals above replacement and player card score don’t paint him as an offensive option as much as a defensive one, the results from his past couple of seasons paint a more optimistic picture with a 46-point (19-goal) campaign preceding his 41-point 2023-24. While the numbers reflect that Frost’s outputs might not be as transferrable against tougher competition, as a third line centre, who would take on the occasional spot duty on the second line offers some optimism, as does the wide open possibility of what Frost could do away from John Tortorella’s system.
The Leafs poked around on Morgan Frost last season.
I wonder if they circle back.. https://t.co/RBSwJIAKZ4
— Nick Alberga (@thegoldenmuzzy) November 20, 2024
The reality is that Frost isn’t a slam dunk to address the Leafs needs and the best fit for a centre is probably one that can potentially push Tavares down the lineup. That player is a lot harder to find, take longer to acquire, and cost a lot more in assets. The Frost advantage is that he is already out there, the Flyers want to move on, and he shouldn’t cost much. Frost has had issues with consistency and doesn’t have the grit factor that the Leafs have been prioritizing in their acquisitions. Brad Treliving doing due diligence on Morgan Frost, last season as an option for Sheldon Keefe, a coach that had Frost in junior, isn’t a guarantee that he sees Frost as a fit for Craig Berube. Couple that with Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff believing that the Flyers are still practicing patience with Frost, this could just be wishful thinking that the Maple Leafs will move on from Domi, Holmberg, and Kampf sooner rather than later.
Data from Evolving Hockey, Natural Stat Trick, and PuckPedia
