Charlie Morrison – 2026 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

Charlie Morrison

2025-26 Team: Québec Remparts (QMJHL)
Date of Birth: Oct. 12, 2007
Place of Birth: Miramichi, NB, CAN
Height: 6-foot-3, Weight: 198 pounds
Shoots: Left
Position: Defenseman
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2026 first-year eligible

Rankings

• NHL Central Scouting: 39^th (North American skaters)
• Daily Faceoff (Steven Ellis): 61^st
• McKeen’s: 58^th

Charlie Morrison is an interesting, somewhat under-the-radar defenseman. A few outlets have him as a potential second-rounder, while others don’t really rate him at all. His scoring totals might suggest the latter is the right call, but he does a lot of things that you want to see out of defensemen in the modern game.

As mentioned, Morrison’s numbers in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) were nothing to really write home about—only four goals and nine assists in 41 games. In fact, according to QuantHockey, between 2009-10 and 2018-19, only a handful of QMJHL defensemen to record under 0.35 points per game across 20 or more games truly “made it.” It’s a very low hit rate.

However, Morrison could be an exception. One player in that group—Samuel Morin—was drafted 11^th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2013. Injuries prevented him from becoming an NHL regular, but the point is to show that there is historical precedent for a player with Morrison’s production A) getting drafted in the first three rounds and B) being good. So, what is there to like?

Getting into Morrison’s game, what immediately stands out is his mobility, especially for his size. As noted, he is 6-foot-3 and just shy of 200 pounds entering the combine. So, it’s nice to see that he can move well. It didn’t lead to serious production, and it realistically never will, but there were flashes of offensive ability as a result.

The selling point for Morrison is that he could be a solid retrieval, zone-exit, puck-carrying, and shutdown defenseman. He genuine shows promise in these areas, combining size, a good stick, and skating ability to help out defensively and in transition. Some of those traits are put on display in the primary assist below:

Charlie Morrison (#27 in white) with a nice DZ steal and assist here pic.twitter.com/i5qVxo2qhv

— Justin Giampietro (@justingiam) June 4, 2026

Brought up in McKeen’s prospect report for Morrison is an idea I agree with: his decision-making is a plus. That was shown in the clip above. He waited long enough to set up a 2-on-1 where the shooter had plenty of space.

Morrison makes a lot of smart plays with the puck in the defensive zone, actually. Again, the offense isn’t a strength, but by being reliable in the other two zones, he kind of makes up for it. When he gets puck touches, you can expect him to do the right thing.

Despite recording 13 points in 41 games as one of the older first-year players in the 2026 class, Morrison has legitimate upside. Keep an eye on him.

Other THW Draft Profiles

• Maddox Dagenais
• Egor Shilov
• Xavier Villeneuve

Charlie Morrison – NHL Draft Projection

A bullish case can be made for Morrison to go in the first three rounds, but a safe projection is the fourth. Inevitably, a team will take a chance on a big, two-way shutdown defenseman with mobility. Those types usually don’t have to wait long to hear their names called.

Quotables

“Morrison has received a ton of love over the past two months. At 6-foot-3 and just under 200 pounds, he’s hard to miss out there. He’s a punishing defender who won’t beat you with the puck, but he’ll absolutely steal it away from you. Morrison plays a rock-steady defensive game, and while he doesn’t have much offensive upside, that’s not why you’d draft him.” – Steven Ellis, Daily Faceoff

“Charlie Morrison’s defensive skills are notable for their reliability, as he excels at being physical and distributing the puck effectively. His use of his size to initiate play in the neutral zone is a valuable asset. While his offense is limited, he shows glimpses of potential on occasion.” – Neutral Zone

“He is a defence-first type player who moves well for his size. He has enough deception in his game to avoid the first wave of the forecheck, but he also makes good decisions on zone exits be it with a swift first pass, or taking the safer way out when no other options present themselves. He won’t blow people up, but there is a physical element to his game.” – Sam Cosentino, Sportsnet

Strengths

• Mobility
• Size
• Hockey IQ
• Shutdown ability
• Retrievals and zone exits
• Puck-carrying

Under Construction – Improvements to Make

• Needs offensive work
• Low point totals, especially for an older player in the class, suggest he’s a long shot

NHL Potential

If Morrison hits his ceiling, he could be a No. 5 defenseman. That doesn’t sound like much, but a player like that is crucial for a contender. There’s some risk, due to the scoring rate, but a team should definitely take a chance on the 18-year-old.

Risk – 3.5/5, Reward – 3.5/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense – 3.5/10, Defense – 7/10

Awards/Achievements

• 2023-24 CSSHLE U17 First All-Star Team
• 2023-24 CSSHLE U17 Most Assists by Defenseman (10)
• 2023-24 CSSHLE U17 Most Goals by Defenseman (7)
• 2023-24 CSSHLE U17 Most Points by Defenseman (17)
• 2023-24 CSSHLE U17 Top Defenseman
• 2023-24 MJAHL Champion
• 2023-24 UT1HL 16U Champion

Interviews/Links

• QMJHL: Around The Maritimes – S02 EP09 – Charlie Morrison (YouTube)
• FloHockey: Québec’s Charlie Morrison Returns With Purpose And Plenty Of Eyes Watching

Charlie Morrison Stats

Videos

The McKeen's 2026 NHL Draft Scouting Report 🏒📊

In this feature, Charlie Morrison (Québec Remparts) gets the full breakdown from @JerTremblay, including skating, shot, and what to watch as draft season continues 👀

Read the full report at McKeen’s Hockey… pic.twitter.com/2vqt1QmG31

— McKeen's Hockey (@mckeenshockey) May 27, 2026

Charlie Morrison is able to deliver some big hits, and here is another example! 💥#NHLProspectspic.twitter.com/I07MBY7Bxi

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) February 20, 2026