He didn’t blow the doors off. He didn’t go on a scoring tear. But something about Morgan Frost, who had joined the Flames midseason from Philadelphia, clicked in Calgary, and the team isn’t ignoring it. The 26-year-old center quietly became one of Calgary’s most reliable faceoff men (winning 50.5% of draws) and showed flashes of the playmaking skill that once made him a top prospect. Sure, 3 goals and 12 points in 32 games isn’t eye-popping, but it was enough for the front office to buy into his potential. Calgary’s been looking for answers down the middle, and they think “Frosty ” might just be one of them.

Now, that belief comes with a price tag. It is official now. On 3rd July, Frost has resigned with Calgary with a two-year extension, with a total value of $8.75 million and a yearly average price of $4.375 million. Also, the contract is broken down into a $3.875 million base salary. The contract has a signing bonus of 500K. However, this is not the end of it, as in Year 1, Frost has no trade protection, but in Year 2, he is getting an eight-team no-trade list, and so he has partial control over his future as the deal moves forward. It is a deal which goes like this: we have faith in you, and now you need to prove it. And with a complete training camp in front of him, all eyes will be on him. But what makes this deal unique?

That is a massive pay increase compared to his previous deal with the Flyers ($2.1M AAV). It was closed hurriedly and without much ado. Frost is likely to fill in the second or third line center position in Calgary, and probably have a regular role on the first power-play. At that type of usage, a 50-point season is not an impossible goal. And to be fair, his career high is 46 points, 19 goals, and 27 assists in 81 games with the Flyers in 202223. There has been no lack of talent. Now the Flames bet on the situation, releasing it. In case Frost blooms, the Flames can either lock him in or re-sign him later at a better position. The one thing that is sure is that Frost did play better in Calgary than the figures indicated. How?

Morgan Frost has the wings to soar, but can he fix what keeps him grounded?

When Morgan Frost was traded to the Calgary Flames on January 31, 2025, it was a case of what seemed to be a new beginning as a player who had long been a flashing top-six talent in Philadelphia but simply failed to stick. Flames sent Jakob Pelletier, Andrei Kuzmenko, and a second-round draft pick (taken on Shane Vansaghi) to the Flyers in exchange for Frost and Joel Farabee. Although the addition of Farabee came with name value, it was Frost, a first-round pick of 2017, who was considered a genuine wild card. His talent as an aggressive player never remained questionable, and what was at stake was whether he could finally make it in a new environment. But what was the result?

Statistically, Frost’s 12 points in 32 games for Calgary may not stand out, but they don’t tell the full story. Known more for his vision and distribution than goal-scoring, he started brightly, tallying a few points and a couple of nice goals before the Four Nations break. After that, his production slowed, partly due to bad luck. One goal was wiped out after a lengthy offside review, and another was changed to an assist postgame. Frost’s most promising stretch came when Mikael Backlund was out injured, giving him the chance to center Jonathan Huberdeau and Matt Coronato. That trio clicked, producing scoring chances consistently and driving play. Head coach Ryan Huska was encouraged by Frost’s faceoff wins, power-play zone entries, and defensive commitment, though he acknowledged there’s another level Frost needs to reach, particularly in consistency.

Looking ahead to the 2025–26 season, the pressure is on. Slow starts have been a recurring theme in Frost’s career. He struggled early under John Tortorella in Philadelphia for two straight seasons, only to heat up in the second half each time. That pattern reappeared in 2024–25, and by the time he found form next to Travis Konecny and Owen Tippett, the writing was on the wall. In Calgary, he can’t afford another slow burn. The Flames missed the playoffs last season by a tiebreaker, and every game will matter. For Frost to earn a consistent role, especially with skilled wingers like Huberdeau and Coronato, he needs to start strong, stay sharp, and finally prove that he’s more than just potential.