" Sometimes, kids come in and the expectations are way too high on them. They expect them to stand out. When they don't, there's disappointment. We as a staff have to understand that these are young players and, no matter where you came from, this is a big step ," Hextall said.

Flyers general manager Ron Hextall noted on Monday -- one day before the decision was made -- that the direct jump from junior hockey to the NHL is a tall order, even for players as skilled as Frost and Ratcliffe. There is a difference between Rookie Camp and NHL camp, and between a Rookie Game and an NHL preseason game. Things get more difficult from there over an 82-game NHL regular season and then the demands of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

On Tuesday, the Flyers announced that 2017 first-round pick Morgan Frost and 2017 second-round pick Isaac Ratcliffe have reassigned to their respective Ontario Hockey League teams. Both Frost and Ratcliffe played in one preseason game apiece.

The GM reiterated that the organization remains very high on both players' long term futures. In the short term, Frost and Ratcliffe got their first taste of an NHL camp and a first-hand look at what they'll need to do to compete for NHL roster spots when they graduate from the junior to pro ranks next year.

There has been a progression from last September to this year.

Last year, the Flyers reassigned Frost and 2017 second-round selection Isaac Ratcliffe back to their respective Ontario Hockey League teams at the conclusion of Rookie Camp. Both players left with quite a nice consolation prize: NHL entry-level contracts.

After their respective breakout seasons in the Ontario Hockey League in 2017-18, fan excitement for Flyers prospects Morgan Frost and Isaac Ratcliffe reached a fever pitch. Frost was the top runner-up for league MVP honors and the scoring championship (42 goals, 70 assists, 112 points) and led the CHL with a plus-70 rating. Ratcliffe also cracked the 40-goal mark and, after his Guelph Storm team was eliminated from the playoffs, scored a goal in two AHL games for the Phantoms.

Both players worked out hard over the summer. They surpassed their performances from last year's Rookie Camp. They had good showings in the Rookie Game vs. the Islanders' prospects. Frost generated a power play goal, two power play assists and came within a 5-on-5 breakaway opportunity from a four-point night.

Then main camp started: their first-ever NHL camp. Both youngsters showed flashes of their potential -- enough to earn a look in a preseason game -- but neither stood out to nearly the same degree as they had in Rookie Camp.

Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol said of Ratcliffe, "He earned a game. We're not just giving him a game. He earned this game and not just in camp. You talked about the difference in his physical makeup from last year to this year, he's done a lot of work and he's grown and developed that way. Through rookie camp and through the early part of camp we felt like he earned a game tonight and we wanted to get him in a game. ...It's really important for us, if a young man has earned that opportunity, to give him that opportunity and it gives us a great evaluation of him, in terms of where he's at today in his development."

In Frost's case, apart from continuing to add some muscle to his frame over the next year, the Flyers would like to see him continue to work toward adjusting the pacing of his offensive game -- keeping his feet moving to take advantage of his speed and to keep pro-caliber defenses honest.

Frost and his linemates with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds dominated puck possession all season (a big reason for Frost's plus-70 rating) but he will have to be prepared for having the puck less often and with time to make a play before getting checked once he turns pro. He is already a good two-way center for the OHL level -- he goes to the right spots and is smart -- but there is a leap to take before that description could be applied to him being an NHL-ready 200-foot player.

In Ratcliffe's case, there are also various adjustments to look for over the next year: how well he uses his feet along the boards, how consistently he gets to the areas below and between the dots, how much he takes advantage of his size and reach and how much he continues the progress he's made in his own all-around game.

"Both these kids are going to be good NHL players for a long time, and we're excited about Morgan and Isaac. But there's a development path for every young kid and there are steps along that path for both guys," Hextall said after last season.

All four of the Flyers' 2017 picks in camp this September -- Frost, Ratcliffe and fellow OHL players Matthew Strome and Maksim Sushko -- are now back with their junior teams. That is not unusual.

Even last season's Calder Trophy (NHL Rookie of the Year) winner Matthew Barzal wound up playing an extra season of junior hockey. So did Flyers captain Claude Giroux. An extra season of junior hockey is far from the end of the world for Morgan Frost and Isaac Ratcliffe.