New York Rangers 2025-26 prospect rankings: Dynamic defenseman at No. 3

Editors note: Our New York Rangers prospect rankings series is off and running! Check back all week as we count down the top players in the system.

Monday: Nos.

7-10 Tuesday: Nos.

4-6 Thursday: No.

2 Friday: No.

1 It didnt take long for Scott Morrow to recall his most vivid memory from his first and only game against the Rangers.

Advertisement I had one chance, he said, smiling and shaking his head.

I wish I scored.

Then he chuckled and added, I think it was Igor (Shesterkin) that made a great save on me.

Morrow and Shesterkin are now teammates after the former was acquired in a July 1 trade with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Along with 2026 first- and second-round picks, the 22-year-old was part of a hefty package that came back to New York in exchange for defenseman KAndre Miller.

Morrow immediately slots in as what many consider the organizations top defenseman prospect and its No.

3 prospect overall, according to our rankings.

The UMass product will have a chance to earn a spot in the Rangers opening-night lineup, but hes not jumping to any conclusions.

Im not really asking a ton of questions to management about where I fit in, he said.

I dont think thats my place.

To earn the trust of new coach Mike Sullivan and his staff, Morrow whose father, Steve, was a 10th-round pick of the Flyers in 1987 will have to showcase a game that he believes is increasingly well-rounded.

Hes off to a great start as one of the standouts at Rangers rookie camp , including a team-best five points (one goal and four assists) in two exhibitions against Philadelphia prospects on Friday and Saturday.

But the true test will come when NHL training camp opens Thursday.

Scott Morrow opens the scoring #NYR pic.twitter.com/KGBFarWzDM David (@DaveyUpper) September 13, 2025 A native of Darien, Conn., which sits roughly 40 miles north of Madison Square Garden, Morrow has always carried a reputation as an offense-first defenseman.

His production has backed that up, with 94 points (28 goals and 66 assists) in 109 games over three college seasons while becoming the first freshman in UMass history to be named a first-team All-American.

Advertisement He followed that with 39 points (13 goals and 26 assists) across 52 games in his first pro season with the Chicago Wolves, earning AHL all-star honors.

That led to a late-season recall from the Hurricanes, during which the right-handed shooter had six points in 14 regular-season games (one goal and five assists) and another five in the playoffs against the eventual repeat champion Florida Panthers.

Hes got a lot of tools in his belt, said AHL Chicago defensive coach Spiros Anastas.

His feet are really good in tight areas, so he sees ice and takes it.

Hes pretty evasive.

He keeps the puck on his hip, and hes got a high level of deception.

Its hard to read what hes going to do with the puck either unload it, or keep it; whether he attacks a hole or runs a give-and-go play.

Added Anastas: He really puts defensive players in a pretzel and makes them make decisions.

Then hes really good at identifying the decision theyre making in a snapshot and attacking the deficiency thats available.

No one doubts Morrows playmaking ability but, as is the case with many skilled defenseman, the key to solidifying an NHL position will be improving on the other end of the ice.

Ive proven I could put up points, so I guess they cant really criticize the offense, he said with a shrug following Mondays rookie practice at the MSG Training Center in Tarrytown, N.Y.

If theyre going to criticize anything, its the defense.

Some of its fair.

Some of it might be overblown.

I cant control what people say.

All I can do is try and work on the things I need to work on, and I think if you take a picture of where I was two or three or four years ago to now, its definitely way more technically sound and detailed.

The biggest thing about playing in the NHL is the mistakes you do make, they end up in the background, so everyone does see them.

Ive just got to keep squaring away at it.

Advertisement Those who have worked closest with Morrow over the years agree theres room for growth defensively, but Anastas has observed a hunger to strip it back and analyze closely.

I knew going into any video session, he had already watched and come up with his own potential solutions to certain scenarios, the coach added.

(The Rangers) are getting a very intelligent player.

Morrows understanding of the game fuels belief that hes on the right path.

Now its a matter of turning that knowledge and desire into instinctual reactions.

Hes got that teeth grind and his neck muscles are really tensed up; that can slow you down, Anastas said.

The biggest thing he needs to continue to improve on which he has a lot already is extending himself and closing faster.

There were times that hed get caught with both hands on his stick and maybe pitchforking a little bit.

We worked heavily and in detail on his gaps and closing fast using the blue line as your friend to eliminate plays before they get into your zone.

He realized it was really effective for him to take those on while skating forward, and thats kind of the way the game is going now.

You see a lot of elite defensemen, they dont pivot backwards and just take on the rush.

Theyll skate forward into a guy, angle him off, cut his hands and just cut off the play.

Scotty has really good transition ability, so if he can angle, cut off, retrieve pucks and then transition north like he can, hell really be good for a team that likes to attack off the rush.

Sullivan wants the Rangers to be a team that does just that, which is where Morrows puck skills and vision could come in handy.

New York struggled mightily on breakouts last season, but UMass defensive assistant Nolan Gluchowski described that as one of Morrows strengths.

Advertisement Hes really elusive when he goes back on pucks, creating that space for himself off a forechecker, or using his big frame and then his edges to create some space, Gluchowski said.

I never had an issue with a first pass with him.

He sees it very well.

There are two notable hurdles that Morrow must clear to win the upcoming camp competition .

The first involves learning to use his size to his advantage in defensive situations.

At 6-2, 210 pounds, hes got plenty of strength to move bodies out of the high-danger areas.

Hes got big traps, Anastas said.

Hes got big shoulders.

His lats are wide, so its just a mentality thing at this point.

Hes getting there.

That doesnt mean dropping his gloves all the time, although its worth noting that Morrow notched three AHL fights last season.

But the defenseman described it as being better in the corners and in front of my own net, which he felt he achieved in last weekends rookie games.

The other part is adapting to different usage than he received in college, or even the AHL.

If he makes the Rangers, it wont be as a top-pair staple or quarterback of the No.

1 power-play unit not while Adam Fox is around.

Hell have to find ways to maximize his impact with limited ice time and fewer offensive opportunities.

Its definitely an adjustment, Morrow said.

If youre on the first power play, you get all these puck touches.

And if youre used to jumping over the boards every other shift I played 25, 26 minutes (per game) in college, to when I was in the NHL last year, I averaged 15 or 16 minutes youre way out of it in terms of the rhythm of the game sometimes, so youve got to adjust.

If youre a little bit out of rhythm, youve got to be smarter with your puck decisions and not try and do too much.

Should Morrow find his rhythm with the Rangers this season, then Gluchowski believes an expanded role could be in his future.

Advertisement The NHL season is long and rigorous, and theres injuries that happen, the UMass assistant said.

If he does a really nice job of showing he can be reliable and dependable in those bottom-role minutes, then I think when he gets the opportunity in those top minutes, hes familiar with what to do.

(Photo of Scott Morrow with the Hurricanes last season: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images) Connections: Sports Edition Spot the pattern.

Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms.

This article has been shared from the original article on theathleticuk, here is the link to the original article.