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Philadelphia Flyers Prospect Profile: Samuel Morin

By Kevin Gullage

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We are now entering week three of our weekly prospect breakdown. This week we will discuss Samuel Morin. Before we get into the breakdown of Sam, here’s a quick look at his bio, like we always do.

Name: Samuel Morin

Birth-date: July 12th, 1995

Height and Weight: 6’7″, 224 pounds

Shoots: Left

Drafted: 1st round, 11th overall in the 2013 NHL draft

QJMJHL: Rimouski Oceanic

Sam Morin was the closest of the Philadelphia Flyers prospects in cracking the lineup at the end of training camp last season. Morin and Gostisbehere were used as a very effective pairing during training camp last year and I wouldn’t be surprised if they are utilized in the same form, come their time with the Flyers.

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Morin, who was drafted 11th overall in the 2013 NHL draft, has quickly developed into a very mature individual who is ready for his shot in the NHL. Shayne Gostisbehere and Sam Morin jump started the Flyers into a defensive rebuild and are now in good company with the likes of Travis Sanheim, Ivan Provorov, and Robert Hagg. The Philadelphia Flyers haven’t had a big bodied defensemen like this since Chris Pronger. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not stating he is the second coming of Chris Pronger; I’m just stating that the physical attributes are very similar. Not to mention his play style has been compared to that of Pronger’s.

Sam is obviously very big and he utilizes his size to the absolute max. Like many individuals would say, “he’s a prototypical Flyers player”, although recent draft picks and signings have started a much needed culture change to combat the ever evolving NHL. Speed surpasses the need for size now a days. Sam is definitely a defensive defensemen who plays what many have called a “mean game”. He uses his body to overpower and over match his opponents. To go along with his size, Morin has an absolute monster of a slapshot (which can be seen below).

Here’s what Hockeysfuture.com had to say about Morin while doing their draft analysis: “A towering presence on the blue line, Morin plays plenty of minutes against the opposing team’s top offensive units and is called upon to provide a steadying force in the defensive end. Physical in his own end, Morin doesn’t always make the most of his big frame, although he still needs to continue to fill out. He makes smart plays defensively and good first passes out of the zone. He has a booming slapshot, but his overall offensive game still needs refinement”.

Morin had a minor setback last year in October, where he suffered a broken jaw during a game with the Oceanic. Morin took a slapshot to the face and was transported by ambulance to the local hospital where he was then scheduled for surgery. This was a major set back due to Morin’s solid start of 3 points in the first four games with Oceanic. While recovering from his injury, Morin lost around 12 pounds. He had to work incredibly hard to reach the area he was before the injury. Sam had a successful recovery and helped the Oceanic win the Championship for the Quebec Junior League.

Sep 30, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Samuel Morin (50) chases the puck against the New York Rangers during the third period at Wells Fargo Center. The Flyers defeated the Rangers, 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Sam is a man playing amongst boys in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. This year he will get his first crack at professional hockey, whether it’s with the Philadelphia Flyers or their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Either way, this is a great step for his growth and another step towards his placement amongst the Flyers blue line.

Projected time of arrival on the Philadelphia Flyers blue line: 2015-2016 part time;2016-2017 full time

Once again, I project Sam Morin will have a very strong camp but due to the log jam on the Flyers blue line, he will be better off getting some solid minutes against the other AHL teams top lines and continue to grow. There are bound to be injuries in the long NHL season so i do expect him to get some NHL playing time at some point throughout the season. Sam is projected to be a top 4 pairing defensemen in the NHL. The Philadelphia Flyers could have arguably the best defensive cluster of prospects in the game and if all goes well, could one day be look at as one of the best homegrown defenses in the Flyers tenure in the NHL.

Next: Sam Morin Trial on the Isle Video

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