Blackhawks trade Jeremy Morin to Blue Jackets, fulfilling request
The Chicago Blackhawks have a blessing or riches among young players trying to crack an already stacked lineup.
Jeremy Morin was one of them, and he wasn’t happy about it. A frequent healthy scratch this season, Morin’s camp told GM Stan Bowman he wanted out if he wasn’t going to get a chance to play on the big club, according to the Sun Times.
On Sunday, his wish was granted: Morin was sent to the Columbus Blue Jackets for defenseman Tim Erixon. From the CBJ:
Morin, 23, has registered eight goals and eight assists for 16 points with 56 penalty minutes and a +7 plus/minus rating in 54 career NHL games, including 15 penalty minutes in 15 games with Chicago this season. He has also collected 81-77-158, 301 penalty minutes and a +21 plus/minus rating in 208 career AHL games with the Rockford IceHogs, including 1-0-1 and two penalty minutes in three outings in 2014-15.
“Jeremy is a young, strong forward with a very good shot, who has been a productive offensive player throughout his career,” said Kekalainen. “Given our depth at defense, this was an opportunity for us to add a very good player with a lot of potential on the other end.”
Erixon, 23, was sent to the Jackets in the Rick Nash trade. He has six points in 19 games this season, having played 33 games overall with the Jackets. He goes RFA next summer; the Jackets have Morin locked in at $800,000 for this season and in 2015-16.
As for Morin, Blackhawk Up felt he had ample opportunities to become a regular:
Morin has had countless opportunities to impress Coach Quenneville and to earn a permanent roster spot, but has ceased to impress. Morin has been a healthy scratch the last ten games and has apparently asked to be played or to be traded according to the Sun Times. Morin has denied the reports, but that seems like the road we are headed down. He is currently in Rockford on a “condition assignment.” So what should the Hawks do with Morin? He’s not playing in Chicago, he can’t be sent to Rockford without going through waivers, but does he really have a high enough trade value? The way I see it, the Hawks have two options, play him or trade him.
And so they traded him.
Morin helps the Jackets on left wing, where Scott Hartnell’s on the shelf for two weeks. There’s no telling if he’ll ever reach the potential he’s teased in the AHL but the Jackets will give him every chance to.
