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Prospect Info: 2015 NHL Draft - Pick #113 - Brad Morrison

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Hunter Gathers

Hunter Gathers

The Crown
Feb 27, 2002
107,686
13,679
parts unknown
Name: Brad Morrison
Position: C
Nationality: Canadian

Height: 6'0"
Weight: 160 lbs
Team: Prince George
League: WHL

Scouting report(s):

Elite Prospects

A clever, dexterous forward who plays with jump and jam. Possesses the speed and cunning to create separation, and has the individual skills and puckhandling ability to make the best use of any time and space earned. Works hard in the corners, but can get rubbed out when not careful. All-in-all, a speedy, skilled forward who can carry and direct plays with ease. (Curtis Joe, EP 2015)

BCMML information lists his birth date as 1997-01-04. Also erroneously listed as a R handed D, on initial 2012-13 WHL profile.
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Hockey Prospectus

Characteristics

Skating (Speed/edges/techniques, etc.)

Morrison has a quick first step and matches the speed of his opponents effortlessly. Possesses lights-out speed, is very athletic and moves well. He has multiple gears due to his great acceleration and capable of deceptively jumping into the rush. Looks comfortable on the ice.

Shooting (Slap/wrist/backhand, General strength, proclivities, etc.)

Has a lightning-quick release and solid accuracy, but his shot isn’t particularly powerful. Favors a well-placed and well-timed wrist shot, but usually scores off rebounds and scrums. He generates chances by driving to the net and using his excellent stick-skills and speed to beat defenders and create open space. Not a definitive offensive force but has the skill to contribute at a consistent pace.

Puck Skills

Possesses a very quick, creative stick and capable of punishing unsuspecting defenders. Passes are firm and accurate and he doesn’t usually relinquish possession when under pressure. He’s a creative playmaker on the rush coming through the neutral zone and smartly sets up teammates around the ice. Doesn’t typically go wide but drives toward the net and the slot.

Smarts (vision, defensive play, ability to stick in system, etc.)

Morrison plays and processes the game at a very high pace. He tends to survey the game away from the puck and responds using his speed. He also tends to hunt down opportunities and will strike quickly giving rise to his deceptive nature – sneaks up on the play when he doesn’t have the puck. He’s eager on the breakout and is usually found jumping well ahead of the play. Despite speed and awareness, seems to go long stretches where he’s quiet and will showcase brief blasts of skill.

Physicality

Willing to battle in front of the net for possession and competes in tough areas of the ice. He’s effective in the corners and plays with his head up when approaching scrums. Won’t approach defensive situations with physicality, but he’s effective at containing threats using his body if necessary.

General Assessment

Morrison plays a smart, high-speed, and creative game and isn’t afraid to mix in some physicality to get the job the done. He’s benefitted from lining up with Jansen Harkins on occasion this season which could inflate his production (doubled since last season in as many games), but he certainly possesses the raw skills to make an impact at the next level. However, he will need to fill out his 5’11” frame before doing so. I predict he’ll be selected in the fifth round making him a Tier V prospect.
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Statistics:

Code: 
Season	Team	Lge	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	+/-	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2012-13	Prince George Cougars	WHL	5	1	2	3	4	-3					
2013-14	Prince George Cougars	WHL	55	12	9	21	12	-4	--	--	--	--	--
2014-15	Prince George Cougars	WHL	67	23	27	50	30	-3	5	2	5	7	4
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For anyone who knows history when is the last time a kid this small during the draft made a big impact in the NHL? I feel like I've seen a lot of reeeeaaaally tiny drafted guys around this weight and none of them make it. I'm sure there have to be some kids who have grown and made it though. When i say tiny I mean in reference to being a twig. 6'0 isn't short or anything
 
Don't really like the pick. Needs to put on a lot of weight, at least like 30-40 pounds. Sounds like he plays a solid game at center with everything but a good shot. His size is a huge concern though.
 
I really like this as a fourth round pick.

The kid is shifty and quick and has a lot of offensive tools. He looked good on the wings this year as well and really kind of came out of nowhere.

Obviously size and strength is a concern, but the skills are worth taking a shot. He's also going to need to improve his defense and learn to make the best use of all available options.

This is a longer-term prospect and a sleeper, but I'd keep an eye on him.
 
Love this pick for you.

http://whl-from-above.blogspot.ca/2015/05/final-whl-rankings-2015-nhl-draft.html

#13 Brad Morrison

Team: Prince George Cougars
Position: C/LW/RW
Shoots: L
Height: 5’11.5
Weight: 154
GP: 63
Goals: 23
Assists: 27
Points: 50
Pts/Gm: 0.79
PIM: 30

Player Analysis: Brad Morrison is a speedy and dynamic forward for the Prince George Cougars…is most definitely one of the fastest pure skaters from the WHL in this year’s NHL draft class…regularly catches defenders on their heels and flat-footed due to his quick bursts to the outside…has extremely good acceleration and can get up to top speed in only a few strides…looks light on his skates while he flies around, having the ability to change directions and make defenders miss…skates with a slightly hunched stance, making him look much smaller than he’s listed…despite his lack of size and weight he doesn’t back down…plays an aggressive style of offensive game and excels in traffic, going to the crease and to tough areas…receives the puck well and has purely skilled hands…shoots the puck well…wrister is hard and accurate…does a good job getting shots away despite traffic and sticks…can shoot in stride…often follows his shot to the net, looking for rebounds…has good hand-eye co-ordination on deflections and for knocking elevated passes out of mid-air…an extremely smart offensive player who is dangerous off the rush and off the cycle due to his ability to take advantage of holes in a defence…does suffer a bit from tunnel vision at times, failing to use his linemates as well as he could…seemed to be a bit selfish at times when the puck was on his stick and I think making that one extra pass might do wonders for his game and give him another element of offensive punch…owns a relentless motor off the puck…attacks in situations when he doesn’t have the puck…isn’t a super strong defensive player but he isn’t simply running around chasing the play…his good hands and quick stick help him defensively, making up for his lack of mass…while he may not have a boatload of defensive value to his game currently, his speed and work ethic could make him a decent two-way forward and penalty killer in certain situations if he really works at that part of his game over the next 3-4+ years…

has shown decent versatility this year, playing both centre and either wing in the Cougars top 6….was also a regular contributor on the powerplay…scored 97 goals and had 170 points in 68 games in his bantam draft year…had 12 goals and 21 points in 55 games as a WHL rookie in 2013-14…produced consistently this year with 0.73 PPG up until December 31st and 0.76 PPG from January 1st until the end of the regular season…his 23 goals were tied for the 5th highest total among first-year draft-eligible WHL forwards…18 of those goals came at even-strength, which was the 6th best mark among that same group of forwards…scored 11% of all Prince George’s goals during the regular season…his 50 regular season points were good enough for 10th best among first-year draft-eligible WHL forwards while he was also 10th best in PPG average among that group…averaged 0.55 even-strength PPG during the regular season, 10th best among first-year draft-eligible WHL forwards…had 17 primary assists, the 8th highest mark among first-year draft-eligible WHL forwards…was a 1st round pick, 7th overall, by the Cougars at the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft…

overall I see Morrison as an extremely talented and dangerous offensive player in this draft…while his lack of mass definitely hurts him, I can see him providing major value down the road if he slides outside the top 120 picks, not unlike Rourke Chartier from the 2014 NHL Draft…with the proper development his game could end up being somewhat similar to a player like Andrew Cogliano, given that his defensive game takes a couple of big strides forward…I value him as a legit 3rd round pick this year and think he has top 6 NHL potential, even though I feel like he’ll end up more as a 5th round pick come June’s Draft…
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Looks like his selection split the different between how you valued him and where he would potentially go.

I like him too. I like both WHL picks this year.
 
DO NOT be thrown off by the size numbers. Morrison uses his frame to his advantage and slips checks with consitency. I watched him all year and I can't even think of a time where he got hit hard, and that is saying something, since he loves to get into the tough areas.

I see a BIG jump in points coming from this guy, like Rourke Chartier type numbers. Morrison will be used as the defacto number two centre this year and will be relied upon heavily to quaterback the second unit powerplay.
 
Why isn't he getting more hype? This kid is going to be pretty good and no one is putting input.

Guys, as NYR fans alike, they just got a Tyler Johnson/Brassard-lit player in the 4th round!!

We all should be jumping for joy!!
 
so like a 3rd line center for us when developed? if so, thats awesome. i think our drafting this year overall was really good.
 
Butcher Shop said:
so like a 3rd line center for us when developed? if so, thats awesome. i think our drafting this year overall was really good.
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Think he's got higher upside than just 3rd line center. By the time he develops, I wanna say that the center position (or even wings) will be clearer. I guess let time take its course, but this kid is really really good!
 
Joey Bones said:
Why isn't he getting more hype? This kid is going to be pretty good and no one is putting input.

Guys, as NYR fans alike, they just got a Tyler Johnson/Brassard-lit player in the 4th round!!

We all should be jumping for joy!!
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Joey, I won't forget the exact moment I saw his name popping up on the NHL draft tracker next to the NYR in round 4. That moment was so awesome. We both said before the draft we wanted him and we got what we asked for. It's still early of course, and he needs to develop but in my opinion he is definitely our sleeper pick. Gropp is closest to making the NHL of our picks, but this guy has top6 upside
 
Joey Bones said:
Why isn't he getting more hype? This kid is going to be pretty good and no one is putting input.

Guys, as NYR fans alike, they just got a Tyler Johnson/Brassard-lit player in the 4th round!!

We all should be jumping for joy!!
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For every guy like Tyler Johnson that makes it, there are a dozen that don't. He's an interesting prospect for sure, but one we should look at with tempered expectations.
 
nyr2k2 said:
For every guy like Tyler Johnson that makes it, there are a dozen that don't. He's an interesting prospect for sure, but one we should look at with tempered expectations.
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Agreed, we can rave all day about taking some offensive prospects, but none of these guys are a lock by any means. Longtime fans have seen plenty of these players go nowhere.
 
Bluenote13 said:
Agreed, we can rave all day about taking some offensive prospects, but none of these guys are a lock by any means. Longtime fans have seen plenty of these players go nowhere.
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True, true. I love the kid's profile and will follow him with interest, but if he had a high chance of being Tyler Johnson, he would have gone third overall.
 
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