Morgan Frost's most common linemates, this season: 144 min with Tippett and Michkov, 117 min with Tippett and Konecny, 42 min with Laughton and Michkov, 22 min with Tippett and Ryan Poehling, and so on. This is not a player who was buried with grinders...this is a player who has been given ample opportunity to discover his offense and contribute. And he's not that bad...but he will be looking to get paid next year (TheAthletic model values him at...4.9 million! I guarantee the same Flyer fans complaining about this trade would be apopoleptic if they had to pay Frost anything remotely like that!!), and Flyers have had enough of a look at him over the years to clearly decide they don't need to be the ones paying him, and that they can better for the money spent. Fine.
Joel Farabee is a different story. 152 min with Couturier and Konecny, 69 min with Laughton and Brink, 46 min with Couturier and Michkov, 34 min with Couturier and Hathaway, and so on. This is a player who has been given some leash, and has not done anything with it, and has gotten moved down the lineup. He he has not really lived up to his contract, a pretty good one that he got as an RFA based on potential. He has simply not taken consistent steps forward...and once again, Flyers can easily say "I can spend his pretty good money on something better, for sure I can pay new players in my system to perhaps do just as well for a lot less. Again, TheAthletic model has him valued at 3.1 million...he might rehabilitate his value, might be simplest thing in the world, but Flyers have other ideas.
On July 1, Flyers will have a ton of cap to spend. And if they wait until next July 1, they will have enough to sign the most expensive player in the NHL, if they want, and can get it done. And not having Frost and Farabee at ~10 million is a big part of that, because they barely moved the needle while they were here, so move on and move forward.
Test driving Kumenko is just a test after all, he costs nothing next year. And acquiring a 2nd might be the final piece the Flyers need to include in a trade of Risto AND not have to retain...they should never retain any more money, they should be done with that so in summer of 2026, they are finally clear of all the dead cap they have had these last few years.
All good. Best of luck to Joel and Morgan, they might be better than they have shown in Philly. It won't upset me to see them do well, cuz they couldn't do very well while they were in Philly.