NY Rangers Failed To Give Young Defenseman Chance To Prove Self

There are a few areas of the roster that the New York Rangers are going to look to improve this offseason.

They are on the search for a top-six forward, someone who can help elevate the offense to another level. Depth pieces are needed amongst their forwards as well, but the blueline isn’t without its own holes.

The Rangers have an elite pairing with Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov, but things are shaky behind them. Youngsters such as Matthew Robertson and Drew Fortescue could receive opportunities to become regulars in the mix once again.

Both of them showed flashes during the 2025-26 season, but they don’t exactly fit the mold of a puck-moving defenseman the team is on the lookout for. That does, however, describe Scott Morrow, another young defenseman that the Rangers failed to give much of an opportunity to.

Scott Morrow could be odd-man out for Rangers

That likely speaks volumes about how the organization views the 2021 second-round pick as a long-term piece. Viewed as a defenseman with offensive skills, not getting a chance during an underwhelming campaign is concerning.

Acquired in the K’Andre Miller trade with the Carolina Hurricanes, Morrow got into the lineup for New York in November. Head coach Mike Sullivan was impressed by his game, and spoke highly of him.

“The thing I like about him is he tries to be a difference-maker,” the head coach said, via Peter Baugh and Vincent Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic (subscription required). “He doesn’t just try to go out there and play a safe game and not let anything bad happen. He tries to actually make an impact on the game, and I admire that.” 

Alas, those positive comments didn’t turn into a substantial opportunity for Morrow to prove himself. He appeared in 29 total games, recording six assists with a plus/minus of -5.

His average time on the ice of 15:40 was the second lowest on the team amongst defenseman who appeared in at least 10 games. Only Urho Vaakanainen was on the ice less when active for the Rangers.

Concerningly, his AHL production also dipped during the 2025-26 campaign. However, some of that can be attributed to the supporting cast on the Hartford team that struggled compared to AHL Chicago, which made the playoffs with Morrow on the squad.

No longer waiver-exempt this fall as he enters restricted free agency, Morrow could make the roster, so New York avoids placing him on waivers and losing him for nothing. 

It will be interesting to see how things unfold because, based on his chances this past season, the 23-year-old looks to be pretty far down the pecking order.