With All the Flyers’ Problems on Defense And Lack Of Physicality In The Lineup, Why Not Bring This Now-Healthy Bully To Broad Street?

It wasn’t pretty but the Flyers finally get one in the win column after having to take it to overtime to do so against a depleted New York Rangers lineup. With the Flyers’ offense having to put up five goals in order to attain the W, the team’s defensive struggles are still proving to be a persistent problem. 

It is well known by now that the Flyers have failed to bring in someone this off season who was capable of filling the void in the lineup left behind by Matt Niskanen’s early retirement. Head Coach Alain Vigneault was then left to try to create something out of nothing by trying an endless number of defensive pairings this season; As a result, he has constantly sat out some players to replace them with others for reasons like lack of hustle, little to no physicality, and not having the stones to stand up for a teammate. It leads me to the question of why not try bringing in the now healthy 2013 1^st round pick Samuel Morin to play defense?

Last night, defensemen Robert Hägg sat out- along with defensemen Erik Gustafsson- because their play lately has been less-than-stellar defensively. The Flyers’ bench boss then chose to insert Shayne Gostisbehere and recall the 34-year-old Nate Prosser from the team’s American Hockey League affiliate the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, both of whom ended up with a minus three rating on the night! During the game Gostisbehere was spun around like a top as the Rangers skated by him because he never attempted a check, and Prosser could be seen on the goal replays skating into frame after the puck was already in the back of the net. 

Now, do I think that Samuel Morin could come in and be the answer to all the Flyers’ problems on defense? NO, but the trade deadline is still just shy of a month away!  What Morin could do though is stop the bleeding by standing up the opposition’s offense at the blueline like he was seen here doing for the Phantoms in a game just a few nights ago, where he chose to stop retreating deeper into his own zone and threw a check that knocked the player off his skates thus erasing him out of the play and ending the threat of a scoring chance altogether (something he does on a quite frequent basis).

But where he and his impressive attributes of being 6’7 and 227 pounds might be most welcomed is when it comes time to protect his fellow teammates. In yet the latest incident where a tough guy was needed in the Flyers last game, captain Claude Giroux took a questionable hit from the Rangers’ Brendan Smith (that looked to be aiming for Giroux’s knee) and the Flyers did show the first signs of dishing out some retribution when the young Nolan Patrick gave Smith a shove after the hit, but when Smith responded by dropping his gloves and grabbing hold of Patrick, he looked like a deer in headlights (to say the least). Seeing the potential danger that Nolan was then in Jakub Voracek (who is no fighter either) chose to come to his rescue by way of applying a bear hug to Smith. Both men should be applauded for their willingness to stand up for their teammates, but it should not have to be their job to do so! There’s no way a guy making $8.25 million a year should have to be the third man in to save his teammate from a brutal beating from a well-renowned fighter. Not to mention, Smith’s actions still went without repercussions.

That’s why Vigneault should bring this now-healthy Bully to Broad Street! 

Let’s face it: The experiment of placing Samuel on the wing was an epic failure. The defensive depth that the Flyers thought they had at the start of the season was a mirage. Morin is a natural Derian Hatcher-esque stay-at-home, porch-clearing defensemen, which is exactly what the Flyers need right now to shore up their defense until they can acquire some much-needed reinforcements via the trade market. Morin was re-signed this season for a bargain basement price of just $700,000 given his back-to-back ACL injuries that required multiple surgeries to repair. Sam is now proven to be healthy and back to playing his physical brand of hockey for the Phantoms where he is currently a plus three on the season. With his contract set to expire at seasons end yet again making him a restricted free agent, it seems like there is no time like the present to give Morin his first real shot at an extended stay with the Flyers. If, for nothing else, to see what Morin could truly bring to the table before the team finds themselves having to make the decision of whether or not they should bring him back next year, given the team’s vast amounts of other defensive prospects residing in the team’s system already: Wyatte Wylie, Mason Millman, and Egor Zamula all are already signed and playing for the Phantoms. Then Cameron York and Ronald Attard are still unsigned but playing at a high rate in the collegiate ranks. 

This is why Vigneault needs to call Morin up and take the handcuffs off this not-so-gentle giant- unleashing him to wreak havoc on the newly formed (thanks to COVID) “East Division.” I think most would agree that it’s high time the Flyers gain some respect back from the rest of the NHL by way of some good old fear and intimation! If the Flyers’ rivals don’t fear any consequences for their actions more plays like what happened to Giroux last game can, and will, persist to happen with more regularity!