I didn't pose the Thomas vs Frost question, a neutral fan did.
No, I wouldn't go as far as to say that Frost is a better prospect than Thomas, but I have an issue with your assertion that Thomas is "far better" like they aren't in the same ballpark. That's just not true and wreaks of bias. I have no problem with Thomas being ranked ahead of Frost if we are making a list though.
Fair enough, perhaps there was some recency bias from the Hamilton vs SSM series and I overstated the gap between Thomas and Frost. It's not an overstatement to say that Thomas handily outplayed Frost head-to-head in that series tho. I don't mean to trash Frost as a prospect, he had a fantastic season. But I do believe that Thomas is currently a clear step above.
Flyer fan from Hamilton: Thomas is a lot more physically mature right now. Frost will benefit from another year in Jr (start shaving, gain some muscle). Frost can skate faster but he can't go into the areas Thomas can. We'll see a few years from now how their games translate.
Frost may skate faster, but I don't think the difference in speed is huge. Thomas' skating is definitely a plus. He has talked about wanting to improve his acceleration and first couple steps, but his edge work and lateral movement is already outstanding.
It's not just that Thomas is a bit more physically mature, it's that he uses his body well. Not much good to be bigger but not use your size to your advantage. Thomas uses his size very effectively, particularly in board battles and below the red line, to maintain possession and generate opportunities in the o-zone.
All-in-all I see a lot of translatable skills in Thomas, hopefully he can make the leap to the NHL next season. Agreed that another year in junior growing and maturing will be good for Frost. There's no reason he can't be just as good as Thomas in the future. Just think Thomas is a step ahead currently.
