Samuel Morin is a huge defenseman playing in the QMJHL. At 6″6 and 203lbs he’s probably easily the biggest potential first round pick of this years draft.
Morin is an interesting prospect with tonnes of potential and room to develop physically. Even at 203lbs he is nowhere near filling out his frame and this makes him a interesting prospect for a team that needs defensive defensemen.
Unlike the Stars Jamie Oleksiak, Samuel Morin uses his size well to be physical and aggressive. However, much like Oleksiak, Morin is an excellent skater for his size, though some more technical aspects of his skating could be improved upon. This skating ability is what makes Morin a player that would be a very good pick up late in the first round of early in the second. A player that size who can skate that well is not something that should be passed up easily.
Morin should never be mistaken for an offensive defenseman however. His offensive talents are not well developed and if they even exist is questionable. There are occasionial flashes but nothing that suggests he is going to put up a tonne of points at the NHL level. Though some scouts argue that he could become enough of an offensive defenseman to be labelled a two-way defenseman.
What is Samuel Morin in that case? To say he was raw would probably be an understatement but he has a lot of skills that if he can put it all together he could become a solid top four defenseman at the NHL level. He would be the kind of player you’d throw on to protect a lead or to kill an important penalty.
When it comes to where he will be drafted its completely up in the air with him being ranked at the highest, 9th, and the lowest in the mid 30s. The Stars have plenty of defensive defensemen in the prospect pool already, especially the smooth skating Behemoth kind, but if he is the best player available when the Stars pick then there is no such thing as too much depth when it can be used for trades.
| Season | Team | Games Played | Goals | Assists | Points | +/- | Penalty Minutes |
| Regular Season | |||||||
| 2011-12 | Rimouski Oceanic | 62 | 0 | 8 | 8 | -2 | 57 |
| 2012-13 | Rimouski Oceanic | 46 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 10 | 117 |
| Post Season | |||||||
| 2011-12 | Rimouski Oceanic | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -2 | 8 |
| 2012-13 | Rimouski Oceanic | 6 | 1 | 6 | 7 | -1 | 16 |
Scouting Reports:
International Scouting Services
Skill: Mobile defenseman with above average offensive upside.
Scouting Report:
Morin has played a lot hockey on a number of different stages this year; Regular season and Playoffs in QMJHL, CHL Propect Game, and U18 World Championships in Russia. He has shown steady improvement in all areas of his game since we first noticed this kid in the Quebec Midget League. He has a lot of natural ability and upside. He is still maturing into his two-way style of play… and is still very raw. Morin isn’t as physically imposing or dominant as he should be to the outside. Good skater for size but footwork still seems to be biggest weakness defensively. Has pretty good offensive instincts, coupled with solid defensive awareness and physical play. Could be a stud if he puts it all together… a very intriguing prospect.
NHL Potential:
2nd pairing defender who can play special teams.
Style compares to: Tyler Myers
Hockey Prospect:
At 6’6″ and 203 pounds, Morin is an intimidating force on the back end. He improved his footwork this year, thus making it easier for him to play an aggressive, mean and physical game. You know it will hurt to go in a battle down-low with the big de- fenseman. He will pin you to the board easily and use his long reach to eliminate time and space from skilled players. He got over 100 penalty minutes this season, while he should cut down on undisciplined penalties. He was involved in many scrums, roughing situations in front of the net and fights, display- ing his physical side well. He executes well the position game defensively, he blocks a lot of shots and covers a lot of space in slot coverage and he chooses the right moments to press the op- position most times showing good defensive hockey sense. He skates with long strides, making him a good forward skater. He has above-average puck control and agility offensively for a big man. He doesn’t hesitate to be aggressive on the pinch, shows great confidence controlling the puck at the blue line and pos- sesses a quality, low wrist shot with good accuracy.
Already listed at 6’7″, Morin is an imposing physical specimen at the back end. He plays a strong defensive game, using his size and physicality in his own zone. Morin throws big hits and battles hard in front of the net and along the boards. He plays a strong positional game and uses his size and his long stick to cut down passing and shooting lanes. Morin has even got a bit of a mean streak, he plays very physical, and is often right on the border (and sometimes even over it) on what is legal. His high penalty minute totals can attest that he does have a tendency to sometimes cross that line. Morin is not afraid to drop the gloves either and with his size, its no surprise that he has been very successful when doing so. Morin’s size literally makes him a man amongst boys in the junior ranks, however he will need to spend the next couple years adding strength and muscle mass to his huge frame before being ready to play this style in the pros.