As the NHL world sets its sights on the upcoming playoffs later in April, the Carolina Hurricanes made some news on Tuesday (April 2) afternoon. They signed UMass hockey defenseman Scott Morrow to a three-year entry-level contract (ELC) that will see him through the 2025-26 season. There was no indication that a deal was on the horizon until Saturday, March 30 on Sportsnet. How did this all come about and what led to the deal getting done between the two sides? Also with that, what can Morrow bring to the Hurricanes in 2023-24 and beyond?
Morrow to Hurricanes Picked Up Steam
The idea of Morrow to the Hurricanes became a reality when Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on March 30’s “Saturday Headlines” noted how the defenseman was likely to sign with the team in the coming days. All of this came after Morrow and UMass lost to Denver University on March 28, 2-1 in overtime. Two days later, the Friedman piece came out and it seemed like there was headway for both sides to agree to a deal.
Related: Hurricanes Ink Prospect Scott Morrow to Entry-Level Contract
Four days later, the deal was made official and Morrow is now a Hurricane. What made it get expedited was the fact that he was set to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) in August. There were rumors according to Friedman that there were a number of NHL teams interested in the defenseman. The Hurricanes announced it on their social media and their website about signing him to his ELC. The official number that he will wear for the Hurricanes will be 56 which was last worn by Erik Haula back in 2020.
Regarding contract details, it comes out to a three-year, $2.775 million deal with an annual average value (AAV) of $925,000 per season in the NHL. Furthermore, Morrow will receive $807,500 at the NHL level in 2023-24 along with $832,500 in 2024-25 and 2025-26. Also, when it comes to the American Hockey League (AHL), he will receive $80,000 per season for all three seasons. Word of a $277,500 signing bonus has been attached to the deal. The Hurricanes’ 40th overall pick from the 2021 NHL Entry Draft has the fanbase and the team excited about him being a new addition to the franchise.
Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell stated on Morrow, “Scott is a dynamic, offensive-minded defenseman who has consistently been one of the top-performing blueliners in college hockey. He has shown the drive and dedication to graduate in three years, and we look forward to seeing the next steps in his development.” Signing him right now gives a good possibility of having him with the team once the playoffs begin as a black ace but nothing is certain right now. Just having a young, offensive-minded defenseman could help with the depth of Carolina’s blue line for the rest of 2023-24. Unfortunately, with the organization still not having their own AHL team, there is a chance he could get loaned out to finish the season in the minors if they don’t add him to the NHL roster. However, that could change for the 2024-25 season where Morrow could see time in the AHL with the Hurricanes’ own affiliate.
Morrow on social media stated about joining the Hurricanes, “Couldn’t be more excited to join the @Canes organization! Thank you to my family, and to all of my past teammates and coaches who have helped me get to this point.”
It seems that everyone is in high spirits with the 21-year-old defenseman who’s had a stellar career up to this point from Shattuck St. Mary’s to UMass and now coming to the Hurricanes. The last three seasons at UMass have shown why it made sense for the Hurricanes to sign him now and add him to the organization.
Morrow at UMass
In his three years at UMass, Morrow had over 30 points each season with the Minutemen. His best season with the team was during his freshman year where he finished with 13 goals and 33 points in 37 games during the regular season. Furthermore, the best season he had assists wise was during 2023-24 where he finished with 24 in 37 games played. While his goal totals went down, his assists went up and his defensive game got better as each season went by.
What made Morrow a stout defenseman was the uptick in his 200-foot game that the Hurricanes want to see in their defensemen. While he is offensively-minded, the development in his 200-foot game gives him a well-rounded skillset that could impact the Hurricanes in the future. Even while at Shattuck, he had a knack for putting up points where he had 67 points in 46 games back in 2019-20 and 48 points in 30 games in 2020-21. He was able to carry that over to UMass where he was almost a point-per-game defenseman his whole college career.
Sigh of Relief to Add Morrow
The addition of Morrow is a huge one for the Hurricanes as they look to add high-end depth to the defensive core. To be able to have him in the pipeline only makes it sweeter for Carolina as they are looking to replace possible UFAs this upcoming summer in Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei. There is no certainty that Morrow will play with the Hurricanes next season, but having him in the organization for the next three seasons is a breath of relief for the team and the fanbase.