With the No. 56 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, the Edmonton Oilers could select… Étienne Morin?
1 year ago
The NHL draft is just two days away, and the Oilers will have their first pick on Thursday.
This is the last “Who could the Oilers select with the 56th overall pick, on my behalf, and today, we’re looking at defenceman Étienne Morin.
Like always, we’ll start with the depth of the position in the organization. Philip Broberg is the most notable left-shot defenceman prospect in the Oilers organization. He was drafted eighth overall in 2019, but hasn’t played regular minutes in the NHL (although, he played 46 in the 2022-23 season).
They also have some older prospects such as Markus Niemeläinen and Cam Dineen, both of whom played in the American Hockey League last season. They also have Nikita Yevseyev playing in the KHL as a recently turned 19-year-old. He had an impressive professional debut there. After that, Luca Munzenberger is their only other left-shot defence prospect in the organization. He’s playing at the University of Vermont and is still a couple of years from turning pro.
NHL DRAFT CONTENT PRESENTED BY BETWAY
Étienne Morin Scouting Report and Profile
Position: Defenceman
Shoots: Left
Nationality: Canada
Date of Birth: March 9, 2005
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 183 lbs
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The first thing that stands out about Morin’s Elite Prospects page is the improvement he made. In his rookie season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, he scored eight goals and 33 points in 64 games. He also played three playoff games where he had no points.
In 2022-23, he scored 21 goals and 72 points in 67 games, along with two goals and 17 points in 12 playoff games for the Moncton Wildcats. His 72 points were third in the league for a defenceman, one behind Frédéic Brunet and 11 behind Tristan Luneau. His 21 goals led the QMJHL and was tied for seventh in the entire Canadian Hockey League
Morin ranks anywhere from the 33rd-best draft prospect (FCHockey) to the 72nd-best draft prospect (Smaht Scouting). His consolidated ranking on Elite Prospects is 49th overall, and he ranks as the 19th-best North American scouter per NHL Central Scouting.
Despite his high-volume scoring, Morin is a solid defender. When the opposition is coming into his zone, he can close gaps quickly snuffing out their attack. Morin is not the tallest or heaviest defenceman out there, but he’s more than willing to throw his weight around on the boards When he’s behind his net, he has the ability to stick handle his way out of danger.
That bleeds into his offence as well, as he is a tremendous passer, especially when breaking out of the zone with great vision. If need be, he can carry the puck up the ice as he has excellent edgework, although his speed will need to increase. You can also tell by his 21 goals in his age-17 season that he has a good shot as well.
On top of his on-ice attributes, Morin is a leader on and off the ice. He also has a great work ethic, and logs minutes, as he ate over 21 in 2021-22 as a 16-year-old, likely more in the 2022-23 season.
As for the future, he’ll need to improve his speed to keep up with the pace of play. It wouldn’t hurt if he also added some more strength and improved his defence, but as it stands, he’s an intriguing prospect.
If you enjoy my content, you can follow me on Twitter @Brennan_L_D. This article wraps up my 10 players that I covered for the 56th overall pick, I hope you enjoyed the articles!
Previously in this series…
- With the No. 56 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, the Edmonton Oilers could select… Felix Unger Sörum?
- With the No. 56 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, the Edmonton Oilers could select… Caden Price?
- With the No. 56 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, the Edmonton Oilers could select… Hunter Brzustewicz?
- With the No. 56 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, the Edmonton Oilers could select… Scott Ratzlaff?
- With the No. 56 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, the Edmonton Oilers could select… Carey Terrance?
- With the No. 56 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, the Edmonton Oilers could select… Luca Cagnoni?
- With the No. 56 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, the Edmonton Oilers could select… Jacob Fowler?
- With the No. 56 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, the Edmonton Oilers could select… Alex Čiernik?
- With the No. 56 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, the Edmonton Oilers could select… Lukas Dragicevic
- With the No. 56 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, the Edmonton Oilers could select… Koehn Ziemmer?
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