Flyers Buzz: Morgan Frost on Being Benched, Wade Allison on Trading Block by: Dylan Robillard
Left Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images | Right Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
The Philadelphia Flyers have been the face of drama in the National Hockey League (NHL) over the past few weeks. I’m sure if you searched the definition of “drama” in the dictionary it would show a photo of Gritty.
Morgan Frost and Wade Allison have been the focal point in all the pandemonium, not for good reason.
The fanbase has split in half when mentioning these two players. No two parties can agree on the decisions made by the Flyers brass, leading to arguments and sometimes controversy.
Morgan Frost Debacle:
Morgan Frost signed a two-year, $4.2 million contract with the club just last month, after extensive back and forth conversations between management and Frost. According to multiple sources, the Flyers used Morgan Frost as trade bait this off-season. Multiple teams peaked interest, the asking price from the Flyers was just unbearable.
After signing his new contract, Frost has only played in two games with a negative plus minus. Head coach John Tortorella felt as though Frost was not playing up to expectations. Resulting in him sitting for three straight games, to this point.
John Tortorella seems to like honing in on at least one player for the season, meaning he may be harder on them than others. Last year it was Wade Allison, leading fans to believe Tortorella held a grudge with him, now it's a new Allison in Morgan Frost.
“If one young guy plays a good game and another one who sat out really didn’t play poorly his last game, I’m not going to lose that guy.” Tortorella said. “It’s too important for us to find out information on players as we go through this year, with some of the youth here.”
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The Flyers are looking for Frost to create scoring chances while playing a reliable 200-foot game. Which is a strong standard Tortorella has set for all of his players.
“I’m not going to debate it publicly, I’m not going to fill your papers, Frosty just needs to play better," Tortorella said Wednesday. "I’ll give you this: Frosty I don’t think has played poorly, other people have just played better, so that’s a good thing.”
Morgan Frost led the Flyers in scoring over the final two-thirds of last season, he was even bumped up in the lineup after his impressive production. The 24-year-old carried that into training camp and preseason this year, leading the club in scoring throughout the exhibition contests. Unfortunately for Frost, preseason games do not count and when the regular season rolled around, he looked off. Bad turnovers, and a lack of forechecking. He had one solid chance against Ottawa, but looked invisible otherwise.
The Flyers have waited almost three years for Morgan Frost to “find his confidence.” Then, last season, he finally went on a point streak against exclusively mediocre teams. In games against contending and competitive teams he is just a presence on the ice at times. The 2022-23 season may have been a splash in the pan for Morgan Frost.
Since being benched, instead of taking it to heart, he was taking it in stride;
"It sucks, obviously you don’t want to be standing on the bench for the introductions," Frost said Wednesday following practice. "It’s way too early in the year for me to let it bother me too much. When I start feeling that way, even off the ice, I think that affects my game on the ice. I’m just going to try to stay positive and keep cheering the boys on with a smile on my face."
“I didn’t play good the first two games, I think it’s as simple as that," Frost said. "There are guys pushing for spots here. You look at guys like Tyson and Bobby, I think they’ve played very well. I understand it. I need to play better.”
"It’s only two games, I don’t think that’s my whole season, so I’m not going to get too worked up about it. I was happy to see the boys win last night. I’m going to stay positive."
Fans think the two-game leash is pretty short, which is a topic that has led conversations this past week. But has Frost earned the right to play through any scoring struggles? After last season, these types of questions are popping up.
Bill Metlzer, official site contributor for the Flyers, made the argument that there were a handful of Flyers players who did not play up to the standard that John Tortorella has set. Ex. Owen Tippett. So why zone out Frost when other players could have been benched as well?
Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Flyers had a different standpoint, saying he did not think the Flyers originally planned to scratch Frost for an extended period. Then, the Flyers manhandled the Canucks and took control of Edmonton. Tortorella leaned into the idea that “I’m not changing the lines when we’re playing this well.”
Last season, Morgan Frost was in the doghouse. Yes, he played, but you could see that Tortorella was not exactly happy with his play. The truth of the matter is Frost never left the dog house. Tortorella has yet to be sold on Frost and does not see a reason he should be a part of the future.
Trade talks have not yet scratched the surface, but things could quickly escalate if Morgan Frost continues to see less ice time or none at all as the season progresses.
Wade Allison Unhappy In Lehigh, On The Chopping Block:
Wade Allison appears to be the polar opposite of Morgan Frost, rightfully so to some degree. Allison has been chewing on the same bone since day one. The Flyers decided to waive Wade Allison a couple weeks back, which sent shock waves through social media.
Some people, including Sportsnet Insider Elliotte Friedman, were shocked by this move and anticipated Allison would be picked up off waivers and shipped out of Philadelphia, believing there was still potential there.
A majority, including some Flyers management, think he does not fit the Flyers mold anymore and should be moved for other reasons. In part, that is the case. Anthony Di Marco of The Fourth Period reported that general manager Danny Briere has in fact explored the trade market for Wade Allison, looking to dump his contract. However, not a single team has batted an eye or even called about the 2016 draft pick. Which is partially on Wade Allison himself.
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Lehigh Valley Phantoms head coach Ian Laperriere, was asked about Wade Allison – His play and attitude since being sent down to the Flyers AHL team. Laperriere minced little to no words, stating he has “seen nothing” positive out of Allison in his first four games down in Lehigh Valley to date. Clearly taking the demotion to heart.
“He’s probably disappointed to be here.” Laperriere said. He also mentioned that Allison needs to work through it.
Flyers brass has noticed his attitude and lack of motivation, not only the Flyers, but other organizations have as well. Laperriere sent a message to Allison, putting him on the fourth line in yesterday’s game.
The Phantoms head coach didn’t say it was time for Allison to pack up and call it quits. He knows what Allison is capable of a lot more than he is showing. He has seen it at both levels (AHL and NHL).
Wade Allison has every right to be upset. His time in Philadelphia hasn’t exactly been sunshine and rainbows. However, he has to channel his emotions and turn it into motivation. Ian Laperriere has challenged Allison to look around the locker room and be like Tanner Laczynski. See how he is handling the AHL assignment.
Flyers faithful have come to the aid of both players, the reality is they both have to regroup and find ways to earn a spot in the Flyers organization. Both individuals need to find their own paths. Who knows, they could feel completely different and want out of Philadelphia as a whole. But right now, it doesn’t seem like that is a possibility. Work with what they’ve got and earn playing time, doesn’t matter if it is in the AHL or NHL.
Dylan Robillard/Olde City Sports Network