The New York Rangers have been battling some injury woes this season, with the most prominent being in their goalie depth.
A lot of attention has been placed on the loss of Igor Shesterkin and Joonas Korpisalo, and rightfully so. Turning to the No. 3 goalie in the organizational depth chart as the unquestioned NHL starter is far from ideal, but Dylan Garand has shown capable of helping the team win games.
Of course, winning doesn't fall solely on his shoulders. It is a team game, and there are other contributing factors, such as the defense in front of him. Head coach Mike Sullivan has not liked what he has seen from their structure recently, and people have raised the question about whether a shakeup is coming.
Scott Morrow is one defenseman the team could have gone to during their struggles. He didn't play in the first 14 games of the season, a healthy scratch as the No. 7 defenseman. However, with Sean Durzi sidelined against the Edmonton Oilers, Morrow finally got his chance.
Jan 29, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Scott Morrow (60) attempts a shot against the New York Islanders during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The young right-handed shooting defenseman made the most of his opportunity. In his season debut, he recorded an assist on the only goal of the game by the Rangers in a 4-1 loss that was put home by Pavel Dorofeyev .
There weren't very many positives to take away from another defeat, but Morrow was certainly one of them. He made an immediate impact, looking like a player who was hungry, wanting to prove himself and earn a larger role moving forward.
Going up against a high-octane team such as the Oilers is no easy feat, but Morrow proved up to the task. As shared by Hockey Stat Cards after the game, he was the most impactful player on the ice for New York.
Only eight skaters were 0.00 or better in the game. None registered a score better than the 1.43 that Morrow did. Regarded as someone capable of moving the puck and making an impact offensively, he lived up to the billing.
Most of the positive impact that he made was offensive production, which includes points, scoring chances and penalties drawn. He also excelled in play driving, which includes on-ice expected goals and goals compared to the league and team average.
Morrow wasn't on the ice for the power play, which dragged down others' numbers, but he did receive a positive boost for what he did on the penalty kill.
He also proved to be a much better fit for rookie Alberts Smits at the blueline compared to Braden Schneider. The sample size is small, with only 13.8 minutes per Money Puck, but they generated an Expected Goals Percentage of 58.3%. That number sits at 44.6% with Schneider in 146.3 minutes.
Given how much the defense has struggled, it would make sense to give Morrow an extended look and see if the production ticks up. His first impression was a strong one, and he earned more playing time.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nhl/rangers/onsi as Scott Morrow Has Earned Another Chance With NY Rangers .
