No longer Calgary Flames newcomers, Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost are starting to call the city home–and hope that feeling translates on the ice.
The two were acquired in a mid-game trade on Jan. 30 from the Philadelphia Flyers for Andrei Kuzmenko, Jakob Pelletier, a 2025 second-round and 2028 seventh-round draft pick.
Both admitted to growing pains early, and their stats reflected that.
Frost, the more offensive of the two, had just 12 points in 32 games as a Flame while Farabee had 11 points in 31 games.
Moving countries and systems, they called it a “whirlwind” and felt like their half-season in Calgary was essentially a long road trip given they lived in a hotel early on after the deal.
Frost and Farabee feel far more settled now that they’ve had some time to figure out the basics of life beyond the rink.
“Having your own place is nice,” Farabee said.
“For me, it was just getting to know all the guys, getting to learn the prospects…when I was in Philly, I took a lot of pride in getting to know the young guys and guys coming up.”
Frost admitted that it was a bit weird coming to Calgary instead of Philadelphia for training camp.
“But once I got here, I felt good,” he said.
“It’s fun to be back.”
They feel that now that the trade rumors are done, they can elevate their game for a Flames team intent on proving that last season’s 96-point performance was a sign of playoff hockey to come.
“I’m not really stressing about things non-hockey related,” Farabee said.
“Coming to the rink, I’m just focused on hockey.”
Head coach Ryan Huska has constantly preached that each player needs to get incrementally better for the Saddledome to see its first NHL playoff action since 2022.
Calgary finished 29th in the league in goals-per-game, putting that much more onus on forwards like Frost and Farabee.
“Consistency is that five per cent for me,” Frost said.
“Making sure I’m trying to make a mark on the game instead of just trying to play the game and not make mistakes. I think managing my risks too.”
Huska knows he has a skilled playmaker in Frost who can contribute secondary scoring. He just wants to see the 26-year-old end plays differently. Frost is currently skating on a line with Jonathan Huberdeau and Matthew Coronato.
“Sometimes, Morgan wants to make it look just a little bit prettier than it has to,” he said earlier in training camp.
“And he over-passes or he’ll over-handle [the puck] at times. He’s got a really good mind for the game, so I’d just like to see him end at the net more and think a little more selfishly and aggressively when it comes to going to the net.”
Farabee, 25, has a different role.
Right now, he’s on the left side of a trio with Nazem Kadri and Yegor Sharangovich. He knows he’ll see some time on both the powerplay and penalty kill units and be counted on for a more gritty game.
“Just continue to help the PK this year,” Farabee said.
“[I’ll] probably end up somewhere in the middle-six, so just trying to produce a little more than I did last year. I think I can help the offence a lot more than when I got traded here.”
Huska sees a versatile winger he can lean on in more than just offensive situations.
“He’s capable of doing a lot of things,” he said.
“I think we’re going to see him in different situations this year. He’s going to kill penalties one night. The next night, he’ll be on the powerplay. He’s going to be a bit of a jack-of-all-trades for us. I do anticipate he’ll be bumped around the lineup…he’s fluid. He’s able to be moved around.”
With most of his focus on the ice, Frost says there’s still some work to do to on his new place in Calgary. Small things–like a Dark Knight poster–that can be the difference between a house and a home.
“I have a lot of posters and framed pictures,” he said.
“I’ve got Kobe Bryant…[laughs] I have too many.”
Bigger things too.
“I don’t even have a car yet,” he said.
“I’ve still gotta figure that out.”