With the 29th pick in SB Nation's 2011 NHL Mock Draft, our Vancouver Canucks delegation at Nucks Misconduct selects Joe Morrow, a defenseman from the Portland Winter Hawks of the Western Hockey League.
2011 NHL Mock Draft: Vancouver Canucks Select Joe Morrow With No. 29 Pick
Joe Morrow, D, Portland Winter Hawks (WHL)
Morrow is swift skating, big defenseman, weighing in a 200 pounds on his 6’1” frame. He’s the 12th ranked skater in North America according to Central Scouting, and while he doesn’t exactly put up a lot of offense, he’s a very capable defensive defenseman with a lot of physical strength and the ability to beat players one-on-one, whether he’s defending the break or battling in the corner.
He scored six of his nine goals on the power play, so while he’s not a huge offensive contributor, he can do so on the man advantage. Here’s how Nucks Misconduct justified the pick:
Again, the chance Morrow slips to 29th are slim. But if the stars align and he does - and also assuming he develops accordingly - he would join a prospect corps that includes Yann Sauve, Chris Tanev, Lee Sweatt, Kevin Connauton, Patrick McNally and Adam Polasek (for fun, let’s chuck Ryan Parent in there too). Tanev and Sweatt are the best bets to make the jump next, but Morrow’s development would put him alongside McNally and Connauton as long-term offensive blueliner prospects.
For full coverage of the 2011 NHL Draft, stick with SB Nation’s network of 34 hockey blogs, covering the draft from every angle. Also, stick with SB Nation’s NHL Draft hub, where you can find all the latest player profiles and news surrounding the event, which takes place in St. Paul, Minn. on June 24-25.
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