We thought that was the end of it, but the names of Philadelphia Flyers players have not been able to escape trade rumors.
The latest list of trade targets includes: Daily Face Off Flyers center Morgan Frost's name has once again appeared on Frank Seravalli's list of 25 players who could be traded this summer, and rumors of him being traded out of Philadelphia persist after finishing the season pretty well and going from someone the coaching staff clearly didn't fully trust to being one of the team's top centers.
It was definitely a good end to a rocky year that saw Frost sidelined for some time due to health reasons. Frost finished the season with 30 points in 44 games played in the 2024 calendar year. One thing that doesn't seem to change is Flyers coach John Tortorella. Some pushback from Frost seems to have worked to Tortorella's advantage, but it's not entirely clear if they'll ever see eye-to-eye. Or if Frost's style of play will match what Tortorella wants every night. The Flyers see a lot of potential in Frost and wouldn't hesitate to keep him. They're also interested in any creative things that can be thrown at them, so they'd be open to moving Frost or Joel Farabee or any other player if the right deal was available. But there hasn't been much movement on that front yet.
Frank Seravalli, The Daily Faceoff
That really begs the question: With Frost being one of the few true centers remaining on the team at the NHL level, does John Tortorella's newfound confidence in the second half of the season mean he actually wants to keep Frost on the team or is it entirely out of necessity?
Frost, 25, has one year remaining on a quasi-bridge contract that pays him $2.1 million per year, leaving him as a restricted free agent in the summer of 2025 but with arbitration rights that could make him a free agent next offseason in 2026. Given the situation, it would seem the Flyers will need to decide in the next year or so whether to sign Frost.
Frost's name had apparently been floated as a player the team could trade for a few years now. I'm not sure if it was a style fit or just a lack of ability, but the latter has finally become a non-issue now that he's had two straight seasons of decent scoring. Frost was seen as a player the Flyers could eventually trade for a more desirable overall player, whether that be a more physical forward or a defenseman they desperately needed.
Could Frost still be traded this summer? Absolutely. The Flyers face so many questions, and seem to be asking even more internally, to really gauge their path to an eventual playoff spot. For example, if they want to spend some assets to acquire a young center with top-six potential who is stylistically preferable to Frost, would it make sense to get some of those picks and prospects back by moving the 25-year-old center? But would they face the same depth problem with only half-broken NHL centers Sean Couturier, Noah Cates and Ryan Poehling if they also traded Scott Laughton?
There's a lot of change ahead for the Flyers this summer, but one thing remains constant: Morgan Frost is embroiled in trade rumors.