Charles-Alexis has 10 pts in his last 5 games as a defenseman. Another one of our prospect projects starting to pop off. Also if you had told me yesterday we had a prospect named Charles-Alexis I’d have no clue who you were talking about.
4th?We got a 6th, didnt we draft him with one?
4thWe got a 6th, didnt we draft him with one?
He was rumoured to want to go to free agency, as well.Might as well get something for a guy we almost certainly had no intentions of signing
His rights don’t expire until summer 2025 so I would say if he still won’t sign this year then we absolutely look to move him.With Morrow not being traded and you suspect others offered up in his place you have to imagine that DW feels good about his chances on signing him. Will really sting if he does not.
I’d be shocked if Morrow doesn’t sign. There’s a clear path to lock down a spot on this defense. with nobody on the D signed past 2025 season. Plus we’re one of the best defensive teams in the league. We’ve had players join our system and inflate their value by playing with us. Seems like a no brainer to play for the team that drafted you and actually has a good team.With Morrow not being traded and you suspect others offered up in his place you have to imagine that DW feels good about his chances on signing him. Will really sting if he does not.
The problem with Morrow, and somewhat fox too, if we aren’t giving them a spot they aren’t signing here. He has rebuffed AHL time twice already, I don’t see it a third time. We may sign veterans but as mentors and possibly give him a game off to watch from the 1000 foot view of what we are talking about. I have my doubts he signs if we say you have vets to beat out and if you don’t you’re going to Springfield (or whatever the AHL team is).Morrow’s defense is about as developed as Hanifin’s was when he came to us. The offense is high level but very individual, and the defense may be Hanifin as 18 level or worse. He’s not being developed defensively very much in college. Yes he’s got a clear path but it’s going to be a very interesting thing to watch if he were to go straight onto the team. I’d be surprised if we didn’t sign veterans that Morrow would have to beat out with the coach. I wouldn’t assume Rod would play him in that role over veterans, though I’m sure he’ll offensively look like he has something to offer.
This is part of my problem with Morrow, and while other prospects have had this attitude with Scott it feels like it plays into Wheeler saying there has been maturity issues. I agree he may “demand” a spot. I suspect he’ll also want pp time. Rod has played Slavin there over offensive choices on the pp. He’s played the guys he trusts over clear choices like Faulk over Hamilton. Hamilton is a good way to look at Morrow as many if you think Hamilton can’t play good defense. While he’s shorter than Dougie he’s equivalently taller than everyone else in college, they have the same posture, short stick, they both play with the puck in their feet and lean towards controlling the play offensively. Morrow plays like a cocky Dougie with the puck, with quicker feet that Dougie also had at that age but Morrow has good edges. Dougie was much better and developed defensively. Morrow also does the Necas like refusal to shield the puck and showing it to the other team, trying spin moves and putting it through their legs.The problem with Morrow, and somewhat fox too, if we aren’t giving them a spot they aren’t signing here. He has rebuffed AHL time twice already, I don’t see it a third time. We may sign veterans but as mentors and possibly give him a game off to watch from the 1000 foot view of what we are talking about. I have my doubts he signs if we say you have vets to beat out and if you don’t you’re going to Springfield (or whatever the AHL team is).
If you have been touted and even told by the organization that you’re good enough, why settle for the AHL? These guys have finite windows to make their money, especially now with metrics and the cap shortening their earning potential. I don’t really take much from college coaches playing certain players in certain situations than others. College coaches have more to balance than winning games. Keeping guys from transferring, showing they play a bunch of guys to entice recruits, and keeping guys fresher for their strengths to help later in the game.This is part of my problem with Morrow, and while other prospects have had this attitude with Scott it feels like it plays into Wheeler saying there has been maturity issues. I agree he may “demand” a spot. I suspect he’ll also want pp time. Rod has played Slavin there over offensive choices on the pp. He’s played the guys he trusts over clear choices like Faulk over Hamilton. Hamilton is a good way to look at Morrow as many if you think Hamilton can’t play good defense. While he’s shorter than Dougie he’s equivalently taller than everyone else in college, they have the same posture, short stick, they both play with the puck in their feet and lean towards controlling the play offensively. Morrow plays like a cocky Dougie with the puck, with quicker feet that Dougie also had at that age but Morrow has good edges. Dougie was much better and developed defensively.
This is part of my problem with how we as a group see this guy and Nikishin both. Clear the runway! Don’t put anyone in the way. There’s no way the leadership of this team is going to feel comfortable not having a vet back up plan with especially Morrow. They should absolutely make him earn it, but the question would be “can he earn it with Rod?”. He’s a 6’2” junior who’s a great skater, and his NCAA coach picks four guys ahead of him to Pk despite Scott being such a dominant player. He isn’t playing too much already, and college doesn’t shelter like the NHL. You play your studs as much as you can. His lack of defensive development shouldn’t be ignored. He even publicly said he worked in his D last year and wants to focus on his offense this year since the PP will be his calling card to the NHL. A guy who can’t beat out smaller, weaker, less talented players to even get on his college teams PK at all. His coach sits him with a lead late in games. That’s part of the maturity I think as well.
I think on a team like the Pens they’d just accept his warts to get the offense out of him, and promise him what he wants. Accept the rest and hope in time he figures it out. Will we? That’s part of why I thought we WOULD include him in the trade. Even though we need D, but obviously we chose faith that we’ll get him signed and he’ll develop on the job with us. His D needs the AHL, we’ll see how it actually goes.