Rangers Should Not Give Up on Scott Morrow

The New York Rangers had a disappointing season, but a bright spot was the play of many of their rookies. One of their young players who was expected to contribute this season was Scott Morrow, but the defenseman struggled in the NHL and ended up spending a lot of time with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL). Even though he struggled, he still has the potential to develop into a good NHL player, and New York should not give up on him yet.

Morrow’s Play

The Carolina Hurricanes drafted Morrow in the second round of the 2021 NHL Draft, and he spent three seasons playing for UMass-Amherst. At 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, he possessed ideal size and reach, and he was at his best with the puck, proving to be a strong offensive defenseman. He finished with 94 points, including 28 goals in 109 games over the course of his three seasons playing college hockey.

After the end of the 2023-24 season for UMass-Amherst, Morrow made his NHL debut and played in two games for the Hurricanes, but he was held without a point. He was excellent offensively with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL in 2024-25 and had 13 goals and 26 assists in 52 games. He once again earned an opportunity in the NHL, and despite some defensive mistakes, he showed promise offensively, finishing with one goal and five assists in 14 games, and he also played in five postseason games but was held without a point.

The Rangers acquired Morrow last offseason in the deal that sent K’Andre Miller to the Hurricanes. Morrow did not make New York’s opening night lineup, but early injuries to Will Borgen and star defenseman Adam Fox created an opportunity for him. Once inserted into the lineup, he got caught out of position defensively a few times and was inaccurate on his passes. He never broke through offensively this season, and he had too many giveaways. He finished with no goals and six assists in 29 NHL games and had five goals and 14 assists in 34 games with the Wolf Pack in the AHL.

Defensemen Can Take Long to Develop

One of the rookies who played well for the Rangers this season was 6-foot-4, 210-pound blueliner Matthew Robertson. He spent the majority of the previous four seasons with the Wolf Pack, but the 25-year-old broke through this season, providing strong defensive play and getting shots through traffic and on goal.

Robertson earned more ice time as the season went on, and he became a reliable penalty killer and someone who could be trusted late in close games. He finished the season with six goals and 12 assists in 72 games and scored a beautiful overtime goal in a 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins on Jan. 26.

Additionally, undrafted defenseman Darren Raddysh played for the Wolf Pack from 2018-19 through 2020-21. However, they did not hold on to him, and he signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning ahead of the 2021-22 season. He played in just 21 NHL games in his first two seasons with them, but broke out with six goals and 27 assists in 82 games in 2023-24.

Last season, Raddysh had another steady season and finished with six goals and 31 assists in 73 games. This season, at 30 years old, he has broken out and played like a star. With some of the Lightning’s key defensemen out, he stepped up, and he has been one of the NHL’s best offensive defensemen. He finished this season with 22 goals and 48 assists in 73 games while averaging a career high 22:42 in ice time per game.

Morrow Can Still Contribute

Letting go of Raddysh was a mistake, but the Rangers were smart to hold on to Robertson, and he rewarded them with strong play this season. New York could use another skilled puck-moving defenseman, and even though Morrow did not make the most of his opportunity in the NHL this season, he still has the potential to develop into a valuable player.