Sabres Summer Trade Target – Morgan Frost

Philadelphia Flyers center would be a fit to replace Mittelstadt

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The Buffalo Sabres face a season where accountability will be stressed under head coach Lindy Ruff and areas of need will have to be addressed by GM Kevyn Adams for the club to snap their 13-year playoff drought. We have been taking a look at players who could be potential trade targets this summer over the last few weeks in advance of a year that has to be considered playoffs or bust.

Morgan Frost – Left Wing/Center (Philadelphia Flyers)

Contract status – 2.1 million AAV signed through 2024-25, arbitration-eligible RFA next summer

The Sabres are likely looking for either a top-six scoring winger or a center capable of filling the role vacated by the trade of Casey Mittelstadt with short-term remaining on their contract. A potential fit for that is Frost, a 2017 first-round pick of the Flyers (the same draft that Mittelstadt was selected eighth overall). Philadelphia opted for the patient developmental approach with the speedy forward, keeping him in the OHL for two seasons after his draft year with the Soo Greyhounds.

Frost split time between AHL Lehigh Valley and the NHL in his first and third pro seasons, and missed nearly all of 2020-21 after suffering a dislocated shoulder and undergoing season-ending surgery to repair it. In 2023, he had a career-best 46 points (19 goals, 27 assists) in 81 games.

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After a drawn-out contract negotiation, the 25-year-old signed a two-year, $4.2 million bridge deal. Early last season, Frost seemed to be the target of Flyers head coach John Tortorella’s criticisms and he was healthy scratched at times, but still managed to reach the 40-point plateau (13 goals, 28 assists) in 71 games.

Normally, a team with questions such as team captain Sean Couturier’s injury issues would not be considering trading an offensive center with playmaking ability, but Frost’s fit with Tortorella may be a large factor in this equation. Even though they remained in the playoff race until late in the regular season, the Flyers still have a rebuild mindset, but with Frost being a solid NHL contributor, GM Danny Briere would likely require an NHL-ready player like Peyton Krebs as part of a deal instead of just prospects who have not proven their worth in the league and/or draft picks.