Flyers prospect loves to watch NBA guards and to play like them, too

We interrupt the understandable concern over Sixers point guards, injured and projected, to introduce you to Morgan Frost, the other player taken in the first round of this year's draft by the Flyers.

The 27^th pick overall, Frost is about as close to a point guard as a hockey player gets. He penetrates and kicks, has a good handle, and is working on his acceleration, but once he gets a few steps, the speed is impressive.

Mostly though, it is his hockey IQ and love of the perfectly laid pass that makes him a player any Big 5 fan might appreciate. Last season, an emergent one for him in which he climbed toward the top of the draft boards, Frost had 42 assists to go with 20 goals over 67 games.

That left him just fourth overall for his junior team, the OHL Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, which featured four other players besides him who had been selected in the top four rounds of the two previous drafts. But last season was less about about Frost's scoring as it was making him a better two-way player, something the Flyers scouting staff obviously think occurred.

"There are very few guys where our whole staff likes the guy, and our whole staff liked this guy," Flyers general manager Ron Hextall said on draft night, and here at development camp this past weekend, Frost has dropped some big hints as to why.

"I think I'm definitely a playmaker first," he said over the weekend. "I think you're always going to see me with more assists than goals. For me, playing with a goal scorer is probably the best thing for me because I'm a guy who loves to distribute. But at the same time I can score if I'm in the spot."

Not surprisingly, Frost spends an abundance of his sports viewing time watching basketball.

"I love basketball," he said. "Steph Curry is my guy. He's so smart with the ball. He's athletic. And the greatest shooter. Just so much fun to watch."

And when it's hockey? It's another point-guard prototype, Minnesota centerman Mikael Granlund who, like Frost, has improved markedly each year. At 24 last season, Granlund, of similar build to Frost, recorded 26 goals and 43 assists, his best season yet.

"He's not big but he's smart," said Frost, echoing some of the terms used to describe him, as well. "He's how I want to be as a playmaker.  And he's developed into more of a two-way player, which is what I'm trying to do, too."

Notes: The on-ice portion of the development camp finishes Tuesday with a 3-on-3 tournament at Skate Zone in Voorhees from 1 to 3 p.m. It is open to the public, as is Wednesday's annual "Trial on the Isle," a day of games and competitions in Stone Harbor, N.J., culminating with an afternoon volleyball game. Event times and locations can be found on the Flyers website.