One of the more fascinating additions the New York Rangers made this offseason was Scott Morrow. Acquired in the K’Andre Miller trade, Morrow arrived with plenty of hype as one of the game’s most promising young defensemen. He built an impressive résumé at UMass and carried that momentum into his first professional season, quickly giving the impression that the Rangers had landed a potential long term fixture on their blue line.
His first year in the organization, however, has been uneven. Morrow has spent the bulk of the season in Hartford, with only limited opportunities at the NHL level. In 10 games with the Rangers, he has managed just one assist. His production has been slightly better in the AHL, where he has one goal and two assists for three points in 12 games. Even with those modest numbers, the coaching staff has shown significant faith in him, naming Morrow the quarterback of the top power play unit. The big question is whether that responsibility can help jump start his season.
Will being put on power play one get Scott Morrow going?
This will not be Morrow’s first exposure to an NHL power play. Across 26 career games split between the Hurricanes and Rangers, he has logged close to 14 minutes with the man advantage. While he has yet to record a power play point, the underlying numbers suggest he has been effective. Morrow owns a 92.86 CF%, a 96.25 xG%, and a perfect 100 HDCF% in those situations. The sample size is small, but the data points to a player who consistently helps generate quality chances.
If Morrow continues to drive opportunities on the power play, his scoring totals should eventually rise. That likely means more assists and a greater role in creating offense, which can be a major confidence boost for a young defenseman. Increased power play usage will also raise his overall ice time, giving him more chances to adjust to the speed and demands of the NHL while playing a style that suits his strengths.
Morrow’s impact could extend beyond his own development and benefit the Rangers as a whole. New York has struggled on the power play this season, converting on just 18.3 percent of its chances, the 12th worst rate in the league. With the team again finding it difficult to generate consistent offense at five on five, a stronger power play is essential to staying competitive. If Morrow can replicate the positive process he has shown in the past, the Rangers could see meaningful improvement with the man advantage.
Naturally, much of this remains theoretical. It will take time to see whether Morrow can translate those numbers into real production and develop chemistry with the rest of the top unit. Still, this opportunity could mark the first real step toward a breakout season for the young defenseman.