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Scott Morrow Scouting Report: 2021 NHL Draft #53

Scott Morrow Scouting Report

Welcome back to Top Shelf Prospects, the daily column that brings you the next crop of professional hockey players. Each day I will bring you a new player profile or topical article in the lead-up to the 2021 NHL Draft. Be sure to bookmark the site, follow me on Twitter, and spread the word for the site that will bring you analytical and critical profiles and scouting reports! Last Word On Hockey Prospects is your new headquarters for everything “2021 NHL Draft”! We have a complete listing of our draft articles here. Today we bring you our Scott Morrow Scouting Report. 

The Shattuck St. Mary’s high school program is legendary for its hockey development. However, being an elite prep school, it is rare that prospects spend their draft year with the team. Normally a player is with the school for their 15-year-old or 16-year-old seasons and then moves on for their draft year. This season, the global pandemic created an exception as defenceman Scott Morrow choose to stay in school rather than going to a new environment. Morrow scored eight goals and 40 assists for 48 points in 30 games with the Sabres. He also joined the Fargo Force for the USHL playoffs, playing six games.

In 2019-20 Morrow scored 22 goals and 45 assists for 67 points in 46 games with Shattuck. He also appeared in two games for the Youngstown Phantoms in the USHL, picking up an assist. The Darien, Connecticut native will be headed closer to home for his college hockey career. He is committed to playing Division One hockey for the University of Massachusetts Minutemen next season. Morrow’s CHL rights are owned by the Val D’Or Foreurs who drafted him in the second round, 21st overall, of the 2018 QMJHL American Draft.

Scott Morrow Scouting Report

Right Defence — shoots Right
Born November 1st, 2002 — Darien, Connecticut
Height 6’2″ — Weight 195 lbs [188 cm / 88 kg]

Skating

Morrow is an excellent skater. He has a near textbook stride which helps him to get around the ice quickly and efficiently. His acceleration and speed are very good in both directions. Morrow has excellent cross-overs and this gives him the ability to gain speed defensively as well as to move laterally and to gain speed and power coming out of his turns. His crisp pivots allow Morrow to quickly transition from offence to defence and vice-versa. He has excellent edgework and agility, allowing him to walk the line in the offensive zone and open up passing and shooting lanes. Morrow is strong on his skates and can fight through checks. This should continue to improve as he continues to add muscle to his frame.

Offensive Game

In terms of tools, Morrow can do it all offensively. He pairs his strong skating with excellent puck handling skills. This allows him to get the puck out of his end and to lead the rush through the neutral zone. Morrow is able to generate effective zone entries and maintains possession in the zone with his poise and stickhandling. His vision and passing skills are also very good. Morrow starts the transition game with a good first pass and is willing to join the rush as a trailer. He also quarterbacks the play well at the blue line. He shows good vision and passing skills in getting the puck to teammates and setting up scoring chances.

Morrow can also score from the blue line. His slap shot is very good. Morrow has a knack for keeping it low and on the net. This allows him to get the puck through traffic. It also creates opportunities for teammates to get deflections and pounce on rebounds. Morrow also has an excellent wrist shot. It is powerful and accurate. His release is insanely quick and deceptive. Morrow makes use of this shot off the rush, or by sneaking in from the point to let it go at the top of the faceoff circle.

Defensive Game

Morrow has the skating ability and the size to play a strong defensive game but really needs to put it all together. His gap control needs improvement. He struggles when facing quick forwards in one-on-one situations. He can be too aggressive, looking for a poke check or a big hit and be left behind. Morrow needs to work on keeping attackers to the outside and not letting them get to the middle of the ice. He also needs to work on his positioning away from the puck, cutting down passing lanes and staying between his man and the front of the net. Morrow could also stand to be better in battles on the boards and in front of the net. He is good at getting the puck out of his zone and starting the transition game.

Projection and Comparison

Morrow might be the biggest boom-or-bust prospect in this year’s draft. His skating and offensive tools jump off the screen when one watches him play. However, the fact that he didn’t dominate the US High School scene this year is cause for concern. In fact, his numbers were worse than they were in 2019-20. Lack of competition at a high level is also a big cause for concern. Morrow’s defensive weaknesses have really been exposed when he played at the USHL level, although that is a small sample size. With the level of hockey he has played, Morrow almost always has the puck on his stick. He has not really been challenged defensively. When he faced better opponents in the USHL, this really showed. This will be an area he really needs to work on going forward.

Playing in the NCAA, he will face that higher level of competition as well as get plenty of time to work on his deficiencies in practice. If he improves, he could be a real steal, with his upside as a top-four defenceman and power-play quarterback. However, there is quite a bit of improvement needed. Morrow’s game is reminiscent of John Carlson. This is a stylistic comparison only though and not one based on skill and ability.

Highlights

The following is a compilation of some of the highlight packages and features of Scott Morrow that are available on youtube and Twitter.

 

Check back later for our latest draft article.

 

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