Joe's Reaction of the Week: Post-Free Agency Musings
From a tough call on a former top prospect to whether the Rangers overpaid in picks to what's left to add up front, some thoughts post-free agency.
First of all, I want to thank all of you. July 1 was the best day we have had in site history (since breaking off from SB Nation), and we're seeing traffic numbers we've never seen before. You guys are amazing, and I appreciate you all more than you know.
A ton of things happened over the past month, and I wanted to jot down some thoughts and questions as we move forward and while things are still timely. So here we go:
The Scott Morrow Problem
This is half what you think it is, half what you might not.
My own personal beliefs aside—mainly that Morrow should have played more last year and is a legit defensive option for the organization—there is no arguing that he's going to have a hell of a hard time (if it's even possible) making this team out of camp. And that's coming from me, who might be his biggest supporter.
The Rangers currently have four legit top-four, puck-moving defenseman in their lineup. Allegedly you're allowed to have more than one. But Morrow isn't breaking into that top four even at his absolute best right now, which means the only role available to him would be on the third pairing. And as much as I am a big believer in not being so restricted to defensive defenseman alone existing on the third line (I just want guys who can play), I do think guys like Matthew Robertson and Braden Schneider need to, and will, be ahead of him.
The problem here is Morrow would need to pass through waivers to get to Hartford, and I don't see a world where that happens. Eric and I always joke that we overestimate who will and won't get picked up off waivers, but I don't see a guy with Morrow's pedigree and status falling, even if another team just wants to take him to stash as their seventh defenseman.
The Rangers can stash him as a seventh defenseman, but that is a little harder as things are currently constructed.
Right now the D looks like this:
Gavrikov-Fox
Pettersson-Durzi
Smits/Robertson/Schneider/Vaakanainen
Fortescue/Morrow
I am a firm believer that Alberts Smits is making the team out of camp, so that leaves one roster spot, which likely needs to go to Schneider. That said, Drury threw a little cold water on the idea at the presser after free agency.
