Quick Hits: August 21, 2023
1) The Flyers and agent Darren Ferris, who represents restricted free agent center Morgan Frost, are still not yet close to reaching an agreement on a new contract for the player. However, it's still believed there will be a contract in place before the start of training camp.
Basically, it boils down to this: how much should the Flyers pay Frost based on him leading the team in scoring over the final 55 games of last season vs. the slow start and staccato development path at the NHL level before that? Should they go one year (with Frost betting on himself for a bigger increase in 2024-25, as he gains arbitration rights next offseason)? Will Frost continue in the top six role with power play time that he played from early December onward last season or does John Tortorella envision returning Frost to a bottom-six role with reduced power play time now that Sean Couturier is slated to return to play?
Right now, it appears that the player's agent sees it one way, and the Flyers decision-making triumvirate sees it a different way. When these things arise, it's typically a team vs. agent issue rather than team vs. player. Players focus on their summer training and defer to their agent on when to sign. It's nothing unusual.
One thing that appears to be obvious to both sides: Frost simply cannot afford to miss any time in camp or to get off to a slow start. John Tortorella made it crystal clear publicly that he still isn't totally sold that Frost has turned the corner for good. Pundit Craig Button said on Stick2Hockey this spring that he believes the Frost of the second of last season will be able to sustain -- and improve upon -- what he did last season. Others have hedged.
However, there's only one vote that really counts as far as deployment goes for any player: the head coach's decision. In the meantime, once the calendar flips to September, the sense of urgency needs to kick in to get something done.
2) Coming up tomorrow on PhiladelphiaFlyers.com: A look at Samu Tuomaala's return to North America to rejoin the Phantoms (for whom he played very briefly at the start of the 2021-22 season) for the 2023-24 season.
3) Flyers Daily: On the Mondays with Meltzer edition of Flyers Daily, Jason Myrtetus and I discuss some known quantities and some x factors as training camp approaches. We also discuss the legacies of three major transactions that took place yesterday (Aug. 20) in Flyers History: The trade to acquire Mark Howe, the Chris Gratton offer sheet and de facto trade with the Lightning, and the Eric Lindros trade to the Rangers. To listen to the 25-minute conversation,
click here.
4) Flyers Alumni Fantasy Camp: Today marks the conclusion of the 2023 Flyers Alumni Fantasy Camp at the Class of 1923 Arena on the Penn campus. Undefeated Team KLYR (3-0-0), coached by Ian Laperriere and John LeClair, will take on Team Neumann (2-1-0), coached by Keith Jones, Bob Kelly and Glenn "Chico" Resch, for the annual "Fantasy Cup" championship.
The consolation game, featuring Team Toyota (1-2-0) vs. Team River Rock (0-3-0), will take place prior to the championship match. Team Toyota is coached by Brad Marsh, Mark Recchi and Joe Watson. Mark Howe and Dave Poulin coach Team River Rock.
5) Last night, after four tournament games were played over the course of the day, the Flyers Alumni held the customary Camp Farewell Dinner upstairs at the Class of 1923 Arena. Last year, I sat and chatted with Danny Briere and Mike Knuble after Joe Watson invited me to sit at their table. This year, I talked with Danny Briere and Brantford, Ontario, native Todd Hickman (a team Neumann defenseman and lifelong Flyers fan attending his first Fantasy Camp). After dinner, there was a Q&A session moderated by Steve Coates, featuring Chico Resch and Frank "the Animal" Bialowas as speakers.
6) Today in Flyers History: August 21
* 1980: The decade-long Flyers career of Bob "the Hound" Kelly comes to an end as the Flyers trade the rugged veteran left winger to the Washington Capitals for a 1982 third-round pick (Bill Campbell).
*2020: The Flyers close out the 2020 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals with a 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 6. Early first period goals by Ivan Provorov and Kevin Hayes put the Flyers in the driver's seat and a second period tally by Michael Raffl provides what proves to be a critical insurance goal. Carter Hart stops 31 of 33 shots. The Flyers are held to just 17 shots for the game but did most of their damage in the game's opening five-and-a-half minutes. Hart takes first-star honors in the clinching win.
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