The NHL off-season becomes very dull after the free agent frenzy comes to a close. The months of August and September are tantalizing because the season is so close to starting, but still a month or two away. This is when roster projections and predictions start to come into play, especially if a team had an active off-season like the Philadelphia Flyers.
Heading into August it looked like the Flyers were heading into the regular season with a loaded and balanced lineup; four lines that could do some damage on any given shift. There were ongoing debates about who would take the final two roster spots in the bottom six. Acquiring Nate Thompson and Derick Brassard as depth pieces seemingly muddied the path for Morgan Frost and Nicolas Aube-Kubel.
Unfortunately for the Flyers, Kevin Hayes and Wade Allison, two obvious locks for the top nine, succumbed to lengthy injuries. They will be forced to miss at least the first month of the season. All of a sudden the debate ended because this opened up two roster spots. Derick Brassard, Nate Thompson, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, and Morgan Frost, seemingly found their way into the starting lineup; at least heading into training camp.
Morgan Frost was a hot topic all summer because expectations have been growing, more so out of impatience than anything else. He was drafted in the first round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft and has yet to staple his name into the starting lineup on a regular basis. In the last two calendar years, he has only been able to suit up for three NHL games, which has more to do with injuries and stoppages than his actual skillset.
Chuck Fletcher made a lot of different moves this off-season, however the common denominator to every single acquisition was leadership and accountability. It was reported earlier in the summer that the Flyers locker room was a sunken ship. Several players complained to the general manager about the coaching staff and there was an obvious air of negativity in and around the room.
Chuck Fletcher was tired of waiting for this group to right the ship, so as the general manager, he rightfully sought out solutions to purge the team of negativity and lack of accountability. Every single player he acquired had worn a letter on their jersey the previous season (or beyond). Obviously, his moves were made to help the team on the ice and to win games, but they were equally important for off-ice issues. We have seen this team give up or lack leadership through several head coaches.
What this meant for Morgan Frost was there was a good chance he would start the season in the AHL with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Nate Thompson and Derick Brassard’s acquisitions further perpetuated this train of thought. Fletcher did not want to rush his development (ala Nolan Patrick) and risk his game plummeting because he was either starting in the bottom 6 or being overwhelmed by a top 6 role.
The idea was to get his feet wet, his game going, and his confidence back on a short stint with the Phantoms. The length of the stint was never discussed, but if he impressed enough, he would get the call-up rather quickly. The Phantoms have a lot of good young talent that he’ll mesh well with. Morgan Frost will get top line, the top power play, and even some penalty killing minutes.
The injuries to Wade Allison and most importantly Kevin Hayes, opened up the door for Morgan Frost to assume top 6 duties. The Flyers tried him out with James van Riemsdyk and Joel Farabee on the second line in practices and in games, as well as manning the second power play unit. However, unfortunately for Frost and the Flyers, he wasn’t able to take advantage of the opportunity. It wasn’t that his pre-season was bad, but he didn’t impress the brass enough to start the season with the big club, let alone a top 6 role.
It was always understood, even before the injuries, that if Frost was to win a roster spot out of camp, he would have to really wow and impress the general manager and coaching staff. In saying all that, it was a little surprising that he was cut from the roster considering their lack of center depth. Fletcher is a man of his word and he really believes in Frost’s development. There really isn’t a present need to force him into the lineup if an AHL stint is going to be beneficial for this season and beyond.
In a matter of weeks the Flyers potential starting night lineup went from:
Claude Giroux-Sean Couturier-Travis Konecny
Joel Farabee-Kevin Hayes-Cam Atkinson
James van Riemsdyk-Scott Laughton-Wade Allison
Oskar Lindblom-Derick Brassard/Nate Thompson-Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Then it changed drastically to:
Claude Giroux-Sean Couturier-Travis Konecny
James van Riemsdyk-Morgan Frost-Joel Farabee
Oskar Lindblom-Derick Brassard-Cam Atkinson
Scott Laughton-Nate Thompson-Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Now with Frost being cut:
Claude Giroux-Sean Couturier-Travis Konecny
Joel Farabee-Derick Brassard-Cam Atkinson
Oskar Lindblom-Scott Laughton-James van Riemsdyk
Garrett Wilson/Jackson Cates-Nate Thompson-Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Not the worst looking roster the Flyers have had, but it’s definitely not what was expected after all the off-season moves. Injuries are a part of the game and it’s rather unfortunate to lose not only Kevin Hayes, but Wade Allison as well. If the Flyers ever want to balance out their lines further they could try:
Oskar Lindblom-Sean Couturier-Travis Konecny
Joel Farabee-Claude Giroux-Cam Atkinson
James van Riemsdyk-Derick Brassard-Scott Laughton
Garrett Wilson/Jackson Cates-Nate Thompson-Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Using Giroux as 2C could help balance the lineup out even though he hasn’t truly played the center position in a few years. He still takes plenty of faceoffs, but with how good the Giroux-Couturier-Konecny line has looked so far (and in the past), it’s tough envisioning Alain Vigneault breaking it up before the season opener.
At some point during the season the Flyers will field a healthy roster with Hayes, Allison, and even Frost. The injuries, at best, are supposed to take them out for at least the first month of the season. Morgan Frost might need that amount of time to develop his game in the AHL.
Whether it’s Giroux at the 2C or Brassard, the Flyers still field a respectable top 6, in large part due to their wingers. A lot is going to be expected from Farabee, Atkinson, Konecny, and Couturier in terms of goals. Consider how Couturier has hit 30+ twice, Atkinson is two years removed from 40+, Konecny had three straight 24 goal seasons, and Farabee was on pace for 30+ last season.
