"He's a great player," said Hawks prospect Kyle Beach, who got to know Morin better at the camp and is a highly-rated prospect himself as the No. 10 pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. "You look at the stats, and he had 47 goals in
Santonio Holmes jersey the OHL -- which is very impressive. He's got good skills. He likes to have the puck, and he likes to wheel with the puck. He can make the plays, but he can also shoot the puck."
No question those are all traits of an impact player. Yet Morin will ultimately be judged in Chicago by another question: Can he make Hawks fans forgive Bowman for trading Byfuglien?
Byfuglien, more than any of the former Hawks who were dealt this off-season, connected with
Torry Holt Patriots jersey Chicago fans like he'd been raised here instead of a small Minnesota town near the U.S./Canadian border. Byfuglien was a hero to many here, but especially to those in the minority-laden neighborhoods that surround United Center on the city's West side.
Byfuglien scored so many key goals in the Hawks' Cup run that it became commonplace to
Torry Holt jersey see people wearing his jersey in all corners of the city and surrounding suburbs. He terrorized Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo to no end. He wore Elvis-like sunglasses and Kermit the Frog tennis shoes.
He did that silly, taunting figure-skater move toward the glass after scoring goals, and then there was "the hit," when he did what every Hawks fan wanted to do themselves to
Brady Quinn Broncos jersey Philadelphia Flyers 6-foot-6 defenseman/pest Chris Pronger. In Game 5 of the Cup Final, Byfuglien smashed Pronger into the corner at United Center -- sending him into the glass like a bug hitting a car's windshield.
Morin is never going to replace all that -- but he might just be talented enough to
Brady Quinn jersey ease the pain of losing the power forward. He even seems to embrace the lofty expectations, and feels like his first time wearing a Hawks jersey was an overall success.
"You compare yourself a little bit to other players, but mainly just focus on yourself," Morin said of the prospect camp. "We all come from different backgrounds and age groups and all different situations. I'm just trying to focus on myself, and I thought I came in and had a pretty good camp."
If "Morin" Blackhawks jerseys are being worn to Hawks home games within the next couple of years, you'll know he was right.
