Time For Jets To Give Morrissey A Chance

By now, everyone knows that Jacob Trouba has made it known that he has asked the Winnipeg Jets to trade him to another organization. If Trouba’s request is granted, it will leave a hole on the Jets blueline pending on what the Jets get in return if a transaction takes place. Whatever your opinion is on Trouba’s request, there is no denying that 2012 first round draft pick is very talented who is about to hit the prime of his career.

With all this drama surrounding the Jets, there is opportunity for one of the prospects. Josh Morrissey has been presented with an open door to crack the Jets roster on a full-time basis.

The 2013 first round draft pick has developed somewhat slowly but started to take steps forward in his game last season. His offensive numbers didn’t light up the world, (3G, 19A in 57 games) but he was hindered by an anemic offence the Moose produced last season. Morrissey is also not known to be a physical defender but with the game shifting to a more skating and skill style, physicality on the back end may not be seen as vital compared to previous years. What Morrissey can do is move the puck up ice with efficiency, a skill the Jets need especially on the left side of the blueline.

Yes, Trouba is a right-hand defenceman. But remember, Trouba played the left side frequently due to injuries or the lack of depth on the left side. Toby Enstrom is wearing down. Mark Stuart is bad. Ben Chiarot is limited. Brian Strait is not good. That’s the Jets blueline on the left side. This is a prime chance for Morrissey to crack the roster.

Some will say Morrissey’s lack of experience will hurt the Jets. Granted, Morrissey has only played one NHL game in his career. (His lone appearance was on March 5 versus Montreal.) To that I say, the only way he will ever gain said experience is to throw him into the fire. Sure, Morrissey will make mistakes. Name me a young defenceman that is perfect in his own end. The Jets can’t coddle Morrissey forever. The organization needs to see what Morrissey can do in the show. What may help Morrissey handle the pressure is his experience at the 2015 World Junior Hockey Championships where he was named to the tournament All-Star team and was a major cog in Canada winning the gold medal on home soil. It may not be the NHL, but that tournament is a high pressure event that receives huge coverage. Morrissey handled it with aplomb and it helped his development.

So yes, the Trouba squabble isn’t very fun for everyone involved. In a perfect world, Trouba would have signed an extension and he would be at training camp as we speak. But the NHL isn’t a perfect world. These storms will pop up from time to time. Every team goes through them at some point. The Jets and Morrissey should look at this as an opportunity. It’s time that both take advantage of the opportunity.