The Philadelphia Flyers announced today that they have signed their first round pick from the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, defenseman Samuel Morin, to an entry level contract. Per Tim Panaccio of CSNPhilly, the contract is worth $4.275 million ($1.425 million cap hit).
Morin was such a quick riser among the draft rankings this past year that his selection at #11 overall seemed to carry a bit of risk with it, but his performances at training camp and in several preseason games have eased some of those concerns.
Between two preseason games (facing the Washington Capitals on Monday night and the New York Rangers on Tuesday), Morin averaged 16:00 of even strength time on ice while earning over 3:20 average ice time on the powerplay and penalty kill. The coaching staff trusted him to perform in all situations and he did not look too out of place. He even earned an assist on a powerplay goal by Vincent Lecavalier against the Capitals.
Although Morin’s frame (6′-6″ and 210 lbs) is more than adequate to handle the rigors of the game at the NHL level, the Flyers are expected to send him back to the Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL tomorrow before continuing camp at Lake Placid. Morin will be entering his third full season in the “Q” and is eligible for a second season if the Flyers want to continue his development at the junior level.
The biggest improvement they are hoping he will make is in his offensive capabilities, where the ceiling is virtually unknown.
Morin’s contract is “slide eligible” while he is in juniors and will not count towards the 50-contract limit.
The Flyers could potentially be losing Kimmo Timonen and Andrej Meszaros next July, assuming the former doesn’t sign another one-year extension and the latter isn’t traded before then. Morin was considered a very raw prospect at the time of his drafting, but with a very high upside. There is a risk that the Flyers could rush him into the NHL prematurely when those spots open up, but hopefully they will learn from their previous mistakes and give him the time to develop at a steady pace.
Hopefully the kid polishes his skills in junior