Frost looking to round out game as draft approaches

There’s a saying that life comes at you fast and for Soo Greyhounds Morgan Frost, that saying is pretty accurate.

The 18-year-old is gearing up for the 2017 NHL Draft, an event that many expect Frost’s name will be called in.

“I’m really excited,” Frost said. “It’s kind of come at me really fast. I can’t believe it’s already less than a week. It will be a really great experience.”

Frost, who had a strong showing in the fitness testing at the Canadian Hockey League Top Prospects Game as well as the NHL’s draft combine following the season, has garnered the attention of many NHL teams, as evidenced by interviewing with teams during the combine.

“It was a bit of a long week but it was a really good experience,” Frost said of the combine. “I met with some teams and I did pretty well in the testing so overall it was a good week for me and I had a lot of fun.”

“It’s a little nerve-wracking,” Frost said of the interview process. “You go in and some teams have 10 or 15 guys. Some teams have their GM’s in there. It’s a little intimidating but at the same time I’m pretty good with that and I felt comfortable. After the first three or four interviews, you kind of get into a groove and feel comfortable answering their questions.”

Like many of his young teammates who are going through the process of getting ready for the draft, Frost said having players to look to who have gone through the process, or are going through it as well is a big help.

“It makes it easier when you’ve got friends and teammates that you can share the experience with,” Frost said. “Even the older guys who have already been through the process, it’s good to take some of their knowledge. On our team, we have a great group of guys and I don’t think the draft was a distraction at all. I can only say good things about sharing the experience with them.”

“I found myself talking to them a lot,” Frost also said. “I was always around them on the road and even just at the rink or on the bus, they’re all great guys and they’re really easy to go and talk to. They’re always giving me great advice and just being good teammates and good friends.”

As for his first two seasons in a Greyhound uniform, Frost couldn’t have asked for anything better.

“I love the city, I love the fans. They’re super passionate,” Frost said of playing in Sault Ste. Marie. “I’ve been fortunate enough to play with a lot of great teammates. (Drew Bannister) has been a great coach for me. Joe (Cirella), Wardo (Kyle Ward), Donald MacLean in my first year, all of the coaching staff has been great. They’ve taught me a lot. I’ve developed a lot as a player and a person.”

After a rookie season that saw him score seven goals and 27 points, Frost’s offensive game showed a drastic improvement in year two as he would score 20 goals and 62 points in 67 games in 2016-17. Now it’s a matter of rounding out his game even more following the draft.

“He put a lot of work in in terms of adding some power to his stride,” said Greyhounds General Manager Kyle Raftis. “His skating improved a lot over the summer (heading into last season).”

“Me getting stronger will help advance a lot of the little areas in my game,” Frost said. “In the bigger picture, I want to be more of a two-way player. I’m still improving my offence but right now I’m more of an offensive player and if I can be more of a two-way player, that will help me more at the next level.”

Raftis also spoke of Frost getting stronger to allow him to round out his defensive game even more.

“He’s always been great at stripping pucks and leveraging his body,” Raftis said. “When you look at a young player like Morgan, he understands the position. He understands how to support his defenceman and he’s great on that side of it.”

The two-day NHL Draft begins with round one on Friday night at Chicago’s United Center, beginning at 7 p.m. Rounds two through seven will follow on Saturday, beginning at 10 a.m.