The Chicago Blackhawks are in need of a center, and not just for this season. There is talk, and for good reason, about having Connor Bedard switch over to the wing more as his faceoff percentage is horrid.
Elliotte Friedman said that the Blackhawks and Morgan Frost of the Philadelphia Flyers seem like a match.
Frost is young and hasn’t gotten the playing time that he wants or should have. He has sat out for four of the past five games and has one goal and six points in 16 games this season. Every player wants to play every game, and he has proven that he should be in an NHL lineup every night. The 25-year-old is also a natural center, something the Blackhawks are desperate for.
Chicago doesn’t look like they are in a place to compete just yet as the offense has not been good despite the team’s much-improved play in their own end and keeping pucks out of their net. There have been a ton of different combinations of players this season. With Bedard shifted over to the wing for now, the centers for the Blackhawks are Jason Dickinson, Ryan Donato, Nick Foligno, and Lukas Reichel.
Even though Frost isn’t exactly scoring at a great pace, a change of scenery could do him well and a young Blackhawks team provides a top-6 opportunity for him. The Flyers won’t need his services very soon as Jett Luchanko and Denver Barkley are well on their way to the NHL.
The Blackhawks will be selling this season, but that doesn’t mean they can’t first buy and build for the future if a trade makes sense. The team will likely be taking back prospects or draft picks by the trade deadline anyways. Having Frost come in this early in the season while Chicago is hurting down the middle will give him time to acclimate, give Luke Richardson a piece that he can work in and find chemistry for, and get a better sense of what the team has moving forward.
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Frost is in the second year of a two-year, $2.1 million AAV deal and the Flyers have been patient and tried with him for many years through injuries and struggles. At a certain point, I believe he would do better away from John Tortorella and with an opportunity in Chicago where he can show his offensive talents.
He scored 13 goals and 41 points in 71 games last season and 19 goals and 46 points in 81 games the season prior. The offense is there and Chicago needs it.
The Blackhawks have the roster spot to bring him right in with only having to send Drew Commesso back down to the AHL. Chicago freed up that roster spot taken up by Andreas Athanasiou a little while ago when he was demoted to the Rockford IceHogs.
Frost has a 50.5% in the faceoffs while the Blackhawks rank 29th in the league with a 45.6%. He would most definitely help in that area. Chicago also ranks 31st in goals with 47 and 30th in goals per game with 2.35. Frost seems like a great match and something that would benefit the Blackhawks by pulling off sooner than later.
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