Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Alex Frolov not happy with ice time; wants to be traded?

gyi0062466657

To say that Alex Frolov has had a disappointing season so far for the New York Rangers would be entirely too accurate. Frolov to this point has five goals and six assists. Coming off of a frustrating final season in Los Angeles, Frolov was hoping to go to New York and regain his old 30-plus goal scoring form. For a guy that’s 28 years-old it wasn’t unreasonable to take a chance on him, especially after butting heads with Kings coach Terry Murray.

Today, an interview with Frolov came out courtesy of Russian newspaper Sport-Express (link is Russian) and from what Frolov apparently had to say with them, he’s less than pleased with how things are going in Manhattan. Frolov apparently has issues with how he’s being used, how much playing time he gets and how Rangers head coach John Tortorella wants him to play. Sounds like fun. Beyond the Blueshirts has the translated excerpts for us to gawk at. The juiciest bit of the bunch is this question after sounding off about everything that’s troubling him.

- But you haven’t thought about a trade?

- Not yet. I really hope that after my conversation with Tortorella something changes. But if everything stays the same, then I’ll start to think [about it]…


Well then. A guy with 11 points thinking about demanding a trade after having issues fitting in with the Kings and, so far, the Rangers as well doesn’t provide much in the way of leverage. Of course, it would also help if Frolov had actually said those things too. Andrew Gross of Ranger Rants clears things up with Frolov and finds out that things are not as they might appear.

“It was a Russian guy and he asked me if I had some kind of fight with Torts, if there was some conflict going on,” Frolov said. “I said, ‘No.’”

“I had a conversation with Tortos but there’s no fighting, no conflict going on,” Frolov added. “Obviously, when you’re not playing enough, you want to play more, like any player.

“It was a good conversation,” Frolov said, adding he hasn’t seen the Russian article or the English translation. “I’m trying to work as hard as I can. I’ve improved in some areas. It’s a long season, there are lots of situations that can happen.”

I asked Frolov if he was happy in New York.

“Yeah, I am,” Frolov said. “He asked me about a trade. I said I never think about it. I’ve never asked for a trade. I didn’t discuss it with Torts. I guess he was trying to make up a story or to find something.”


Controversy averted for sure. Of course, having a meeting with Tortorella to discuss thing can be an uncomfortable situation. Torts is one intimidating human to talk to, something I’m happy/scarred to vouch for personally. Of course, if Frolov wants to avoid chatter like this, putting the puck in the net often is a good way to make sure people start talking about you in more positive ways. Five goals through nearly 30 games played is miserable for a guy who makes his living scoring.

A change has to happen or else living on the fourth line or in the press box will be more common than not.