The Sharks have already done the flashy part of the offseason. Darnell Nurse, Jacob Trouba, and Mason Marchment are in the fold, and Macklin Celebrini is now the centerpiece of a roster that looks a lot less like a teardown and a lot more like a team trying to crash the playoff picture.
That leaves the quieter moves, the ones that can matter just as much. Morgan Frost is the kind of player San Jose should be asking about.
Calgary has been shopping Frost since April, and so far the Flames still have not found a buyer. That lingering availability is exactly why the Sharks ought to be in the conversation. They’re looking for skilled forward depth without signing up for a long-term commitment, and Frost checks that box cleanly.
The appeal starts with the player himself. Last season, Frost skated in middle-six minutes and averaged 15:30 of ice time per night while putting up a career-high 22 goals and 43 points.
He’s a playmaking center who can slide into the middle of a lineup and chip in secondary offense. For San Jose, that’s the point: not a guy to carry the load, but one who makes the group around him deeper.
The contract matters too. Frost is a pending unrestricted free agent on a $4.375 million deal that runs through the 2026-27 season.
For the Sharks, that kind of term is manageable, especially with major money about to land on the shoulders of Michael Misa and Will Smith. A short commitment gives San Jose another useful piece now without boxing itself in later.
There is one wrinkle. Frost has an eight-team no-trade list, which narrows the field before any real negotiations even start.
Whether the Sharks are on it isn’t known. Still, a team that has moved from rebuilding mode into a more competitive posture, and one in a desirable market, usually has a better shot than most.
The cost should also be within reason. Because Frost has been sitting there for months, the market has stayed quiet.
A team chasing him now would be doing it before the deadline scramble, when prices tend to rise. That gives San Jose a chance to land him without paying the kind of premium a contender might hand over later.
A mid-round pick or a middling prospect could be enough to get something done.
The case against it is simple enough: the Sharks already have young centers coming, so why spend even a modest asset on a player who might only be there for a season? But that misses where this team is right now.
San Jose finished four points out of a playoff spot last season and has spent the summer acting like it plans to close that gap immediately. A skilled center on an affordable expiring deal fits that mission.
He’d also provide insurance. Misa is only heading into his sophomore season, and if the Sharks take a hit down the middle, they could be in trouble fast.
Frost gives them a safety net and, importantly, one that can score. If the younger players are ready, he can become a deadline chip.
If they need more time, he can hold the line.
There’s no perfect player here, and Frost’s production has never fully matched his puck skills. But the price, the term, and the timing all line up for San Jose.
Mike Grier has already been aggressive this summer. Checking in on Morgan Frost would be a logical next step, and maybe the sort of move that helps turn a near miss into a playoff berth.
In Other News...
Devils Fans Should Care Why The Nurse Trade Return Looks Different
Darnell Nurses move out of Edmonton came after he waived his no-trade clause, giving the Oilers the flexibility to reshape their cap picture and address a roster that needed room. In return, Edmonton brought in defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin and prospect Zack Sharp, a package that immediately made the trade more interesting than a simple salary dump. General manager Stan Bowman pointed to Mukhamadullins versatility and upside in a press conference, a sign that the Oilers saw more here than just short-term relief.
For the Sharks, the deal is another reminder that Mukhamadullin remains the kind of young defenseman who can still alter the way a trade is viewed. His name carried real weight in the return, and the fact that Edmonton chose him for the centerpiece of the deal says plenty about how he is valued around the league. Sharps inclusion adds another layer of future interest, but the attention naturally lands on Mukhamadullin and what his growth could mean in a broader team-building sense. [Read more 🡒]