Flames’ Morgan Frost’s Future Contract Entirely in His Hands This Season

Morgan Frost is coming off his most productive season yet after eclipsing the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career. He added 21 assists for 43 points, his second-best season yet. After the Calgary Flames acquired him from the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 30, 2025, Frost signed a two-year, $8.75 million contract, making him an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of this season. 

Looking at the Flames roster, it’s clear it’s fairly weak; Frost is currently the number-one centre, but if he were on any team competing for a playoff spot, he’d probably slide into the third-line role. This does put Calgary in a bit of a precarious situation with how they can handle the negotiations. 

Frost could have a lot of power when it comes time to negotiate with Calgary, as he can always test the open market. However, it really depends on what he can do in a role that will ask a lot of him throughout the season.

Frost’s Playing Style

Frost has a high hockey I, there is no denying that, as we have seen with his shifty distribution as a playmaker rather than a goal scorer. Over his last two seasons of junior hockey with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, he recorded more than an assist per game; while that juniors pace of playmaking hasn’t translated over yet, the pieces are there. 

What brings him down is physicality on the ice. As a somewhat smaller player, only standing 6-feet and weighing 192 pounds, Frost has struggled at times along the boards on the forecheck against top pairing defencemen, where he’s easily rubbed out. 

Considering Frost is known for his playmaking rather than goal scoring, when he recorded more goals than assists last season, it was a shift in his playing style that can bring him more money at the negotiation table — having that dual-threat ability is highly sought after. If he can keep taking shots and work on his scoring touch, his threat on the ice will increase exponentially along with his value. With the way the Flames lineup is set, he will have more than enough opportunities to do so. 

Frost’s Potential Contract Value

The Flames’ projections for the season are fairly grim; no one is expecting them to go out there and get 40-plus wins or even reach for a wild-card spot, but that’s why the opportunity presented to Frost is so valuable. There is virtually no pressure on him or the team to excel at an elite level; the coaches and players may say differently, but this team should be pushing for another high draft selection to keep rebuilding off of. 

At Frost’s current salary of $4.375 million, and with the salary cap seemingly never levelling out, somewhere in the range from $6.5 million to possibly $9 million is definitely on the table and shouldn’t shock fans. Contract length is dependent on a few factors, such as if the Flames think their highly touted centre prospects such as Cole Reschny and Cullen Potter are ready for the NHL as early as next season.

There is also the potential for the Flames to trade Frost near the 2027 Trade Deadline because they will certainly be sellers, and Frost could be a target for teams looking for a depth centre on a low salary (especially with him being a UFA at the end of the season.)

Nonetheless, a pay rise is certainly on the horizon for Frost as the NHL enters a new era of contracts and salaries with the continued growth of the league.