Bright spots for the Philadelphia Flyers during the 2021 season have been few and far between, yet defenseman-turned-forward-turned-defenseman Samuel Morin is responsible for quite a few of said bright spots. From overcoming two torn ACL’s to becoming an NHL regular to scoring his first NHL goal, he has accrued his share of fairy tale moments this season.
Just as everything finally seems to be going right for the 2013 first round pick, there is a snag in his story. His contract that he signed in 2018 is coming to an end and he’ll be in need of an extension. Though there is no guarantees he finds a new deal in Philadelphia.
The failures of the defense has been a continued glaring issue for the Flyers and it will be a position that needs a legitimate shakeup this coming summer, that being said, everyone currently on the roster already has a contract for next season. Sanheim is the only other blue liner who doesn’t but he’ll likely secure an extension at some point in the near future. So with everybody already locked up, Morin immediately becomes the odd man out and easiest to move on from in an effort to spark change. But what if Morin can be apart of the change?
As of the writing of this piece, Morin only has 25 NHL games under his belt, 16 of which came during the 2021 season. Even though he’ll turn 26 in July, nobody really knows what he can bring to the table at the NHL level. In limited action this season he has been a perfectly fine stay-at-home third pair defenseman. He’s averaging about 13 minutes of ice time per game and isn’t making any critical errors during that stretch. Morin has formed a long-awaited tandem with fellow defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere and the two have worked well together patrolling the bottom pair.
Whether Ghost comes back is a whole different story, but Morin may be able to flourish even without his partner in crime. Morin can steady any offensive defenseman who may stray from his post, and he’s the only player on the entire roster capable of bringing legitimate physicality and intimidation to the table.
I may be a bit biased when it comes to Samuel Morin, but he’s the only player on this team I’ll go to bat for. He certainly has more to learn, which is why a one-year “show me” deal might fit him well. Now that he’s fully healthy and doesn’t have to spend an offseason and training camp re-learning how to do the basics, he can actually focus on growing his game and being a hockey player in the NHL. So, please, Chuck, re-sign the only player that is worth rooting for on this godforsaken team.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
photo credit: nbcsports.com
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