Morgan Frost has yet to find his fit as a member of the Calgary Flames.
The 27-year-old Aurora, Ontario native is in the final year of his contract, and what his future holds looms just on the horizon. Frost’s time in Calgary has been very hot-cold. There have been periods of inconsistency, followed by glimpses of a solid top-six scorer.
Frost got more ice time after last season’s trade deadline, finishing the year with 22 goals and 21 assists in a full 82-game campaign.
All eyes are on the former Philadelphia Flyer as he looks to earn a new contract and a substantial raise. Frost is one of the Calgary Flames’ few pending UFA’s this season, and just like those before him, if he doesn’t sign a new deal, he will be moved before free agency.
This may seem like another player not wanting to stick around in Cow-Town, but this is a good position for Craig Conroy’s group.
Why it makes sense
Frost has been very lukewarm dating back to his days in Philadelphia.
Frost had a breakout year in 2022–23, putting up 19 goals and 27 assists. He had 13 goals and 28 assists in 2023–24, and 11 goals and 14 assists in 2024–25 before being moved to Calgary.
Frost posted a career-best 22 goals with the Flames this past season and was only six points shy of his career-best season.
With a full 84-game season in the Flames top-six ahead of him, it’s not unlikely that we could see a career year for Frost this fall.
If contract extension talks between Flames management and Frost are happening, they’ve been happening quietly. There are no reports of a possible extension.
It’s to be expected with the rising cap, and centres around the league making a higher salary; Frost is going to want a raise.
Somewhere in the neighbourhood of $7.5M a year isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
But the question is: is Frost worth that kind of money in the long haul?
Frost will be on the wrong side of 30 when the team is competitive again. It’s unlikely he’s the first-line centre the club is looking to build around for the future.
The current market
The centre market in the NHL is sparse right now. Teams like the Minnesota Wild are desperate to find a top-six centre.
The Wild’s centre depth is less than ideal for a team trying to make a run at the Stanley Cup. While they’re rumoured to be in the mix for Dylan Larkin, if that doesn’t work out, Morgan Frost is there.
The Wild have a deep pool of prospects and young roster players. There are guys like Danila Yurov, Charlie Stramel, Riley Heidt, and Adam Benak who Craig Conroy could work with in a potential Frost-to-Minnesota trade.
Another potential team in the mix for Frost is the Seattle Kraken. The Kraken have shown no signs of rebuilding and are still looking for a top-six scoring threat.
After failing to acquire Artemi Panarin and Jason Robertson, Seattle could settle for a lower-cost option like Frost.
Like the Wild, the Kraken have a lot of interesting pieces to work with, such as Shane Wright, Jagger Firkus and Jani Nyman.
Other teams like the Detroit Red Wings, who, after they inevitably lose Dylan Larkin due to his trade request, could be looking to buy low on centre depth. Depending on how Frost performs this season, he could be an interesting option.
What should the Flames do?
The Flames’ play here is simple.
Frost should be glued to the top line for the 2026–27 campaign. A career-best season will further increase Frost’s trade value, and could fetch the Flames a nice package back.
Of course, there’s always the chance that Frost does extend with the Flames before the regular season starts. That’s not impossible to imagine. Trading Frost seems to be the best move for the future of the club, especially with the bare centre market currently plaguing the league.
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