krsmith17 7,191 Report post Posted November 11, 2014 Morrison is a 22 year old free agent defenseman out of Western Michigan, originally from Lloydminster, Alberta. He's 6'2", 205 lbs, shoots right, has a cannon of a shot from the blueline, and is an incredible skater. He's a solid two-way defenseman but his biggest asset is his offensive game and he's a huge threat on the power-play. All signs point to this guy being a stud, and the perfect fit for the Wings, but it looks like the Oilers may be the frontrunners right now, being only a couple hours away from his hometown. He played with DeKeyser a couple years ago at WMU, maybe he can lure him in. I know we have a ton of capable defensemen in Grand Rapids but I don't think any other than Ouellet are as polished as Morrison. The guy in our system that resembles him the most is Sproul and he's certainly not ready yet. I hope Kenny makes some phone calls on Kenney. You can never have too many assets. If he is the real deal and he can walk on as DeKeyser did 2 years ago, we then have some assets that we could turn around and trade. Maybe Ouellet can be packaged in a trade to get a top 6 winger... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DickieDunn 2,571 Report post Posted November 12, 2014 If I was in his spot I'd look st the Wings prospect depth and say no thanks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
number9 3,297 Report post Posted November 12, 2014 If I was in his spot I'd look st the Wings prospect depth and say no thanks. My thoughts as well. He could very quickly plunge to lower than Ouellet, Sproul, Marchenko, Backman and Jensen. That's almost an entire lineup of solid prospects. If I'm him I'm going to Edmonton without a doubt. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PavelValerievichDatsyuk 1,935 Report post Posted November 12, 2014 Don't know much about him, but just googled him and came up with this: That is a big shot. Do you know if he was Dekeyser's partner while they were together? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
krsmith17 7,191 Report post Posted November 12, 2014 I agree that Edmonton would be the better choice if he's looking for a definite shot at cracking an NHL lineup right away, but I wouldn't be so sure that he wouldn't crack our lineup right away either. We're trying to find that coveted right handed defenseman and I think he could possibly be ahead of any of our prospects, maybe even Ouellet, and I'd be surprised if he would be behind any of the others. You have to remember that a lot of defenseman that take the college route tend to be a lot more mature physically and mentally than your average defenseman out of the CHL. Morrison is also a year older than our two current top defensive prospects (Ouellet and Sproul) at 22 years of age. He has the frame to step into the league right away and everything I've seen and read says that he has the skill to step in right away, the question is, does he have what it takes between the ears to play in the NHL... Either way, I think who ever lands this kid is going to have a beauty on their hands. He seems like a DeKeyser with more offensive upside. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
number9 3,297 Report post Posted November 12, 2014 I agree that Edmonton would be the better choice if he's looking for a definite shot at cracking an NHL lineup right away, but I wouldn't be so sure that he wouldn't crack our lineup right away either. We're trying to find that coveted right handed defenseman and I think he could possibly be ahead of any of our prospects, maybe even Ouellet, and I'd be surprised if he would be behind any of the others. You have to remember that a lot of defenseman that take the college route tend to be a lot more mature physically and mentally than your average defenseman out of the CHL. Morrison is also a year older than our two current top defensive prospects (Ouellet and Sproul) at 22 years of age. He has the frame to step into the league right away and everything I've seen and read says that he has the skill to step in right away, the question is, does he have what it takes between the ears to play in the NHL... Either way, I think who ever lands this kid is going to have a beauty on their hands. He seems like a DeKeyser with more offensive upside. Except Morrison hasn't played a second of minor or pro league hockey yet and Backman, Ouellet, Sproul, and Marchenko have all played more than a few games at those levels and are basically the same age. Not buying the college maturity argument on this one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Euro_Twins 4,485 Report post Posted November 12, 2014 Except Morrison hasn't played a second of minor or pro league hockey yet and Backman, Ouellet, Sproul, and Marchenko have all played more than a few games at those levels and are basically the same age. Not buying the college maturity argument on this one. When I was in college not very many people were "mature" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
krsmith17 7,191 Report post Posted November 12, 2014 There's a huge difference between being mature as a person and mature as a hockey player... It's no secret that college hockey is more structured while junior is more run and gun, hence why scouting college players is becoming more and more common for NHL teams. Also, Morrison is playing for the Broncos under Andy Murray, a pretty decent coach who is definitely instilling good habits and preparing him for the next level. I get the argument that Morrison should and more than likely will choose a different team (Edmonton), but you're making it seem like Holland shouldn't even go after him because we have other capable defenders... I do believe he is just as good or better than anyone else we have in the system, but even if he isn't, what's the harm in adding another asset? I think he will be another DeKeyser type signing for whichever team is lucky enough to land him. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
number9 3,297 Report post Posted November 12, 2014 There's a huge difference between being mature as a person and mature as a hockey player... It's no secret that college hockey is more structured while junior is more run and gun, hence why scouting college players is becoming more and more common for NHL teams. Also, Morrison is playing for the Broncos under Andy Murray, a pretty decent coach who is definitely instilling good habits and preparing him for the next level. I get the argument that Morrison should and more than likely will choose a different team (Edmonton), but you're making it seem like Holland shouldn't even go after him because we have other capable defenders... I do believe he is just as good or better than anyone else we have in the system, but even if he isn't, what's the harm in adding another asset? I think he will be another DeKeyser type signing for whichever team is lucky enough to land him. If we sign him good. I just don't understand the "He went to college so will probably slot in above our top 4 Dmen in GR". Not every player is a Dekeyser. In fact most are not. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arag 308 Report post Posted November 12, 2014 Bring him in Kenny ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
krsmith17 7,191 Report post Posted November 12, 2014 I'm not in any way saying that he will slot in above our top 4 defensemen in Grand Rapids because he went to college, I'm saying that he is one of the most sought after free agents right now, and I highly doubt the same hype would be for all of our guys in Grand Rapids. It is possible that Ouellet is more NHL ready right now and I do think that in the long run Sproul will be a better player, but all of the hype (the same hype there was for DeKeyser) is not all for nothing... Only time will tell what kind of player he will be, and I think we'll see sooner than later. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
