Tampa Bay Lightning Year In Review: Brenden Morrow

Before we close the books on the 2014-15 season once and for all, let’s take a quick look back at the season had by Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Brenden Morrow.

The off-season is never a time that hockey fans look forward to. Despite the many adventures to be had here in Hockey Paradise that don’t involve our favorite hockey players taking the ice, there is simply nothing like the rush a Tampa Bay Lightning fan gets on game day.

The good news is that this dismal time in our lives is almost over. There is just a matter of weeks in between this very moment and when the Tampa Bay Lightning takes the ice for the Home Opener at Amalie Arena.

Before we officially close the books once and for all on the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 2014-15 season and prepare to take the ice once again and start our next journey towards hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup high above our heads, let’s take one final look back at the season had by veteran left wing Brenden Morrow.

Brenden Morrow is one of the most veteran players that the Tampa Bay Lightning had in their arsenal in the 2014-15 season. Morrow was originally drafted in the First Round (25^th Overall) by the Dallas Stars in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. Before making his way to the Tampa Bay Lightning last season, Morrow had already spent 15 seasons in the National Hockey League.

While Brenden Morrow has plenty of experience in the National Hockey League and a plethora of memorable moments during that time, to say that Morrow had a bit of an underwhelming season with the Tampa Bay Lightning is probably an understatement.

The thirty seven year old forward played in 70 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning during the regular season last year. Out of those 70 games, Morrow was able to score just three goals and five assists for a total of 8 points. This is a career low for Morrow, who usually posted an average of just over 37 points per season dating all the way back to the 1999-2000 season.

As most of us here in the Bolts Nation are well aware, if there is any position that we are absolutely packed to the very top with talent in it is the forward position. This means that each and every player on the main roster in said position has to continually play at the top of their game if they want to ensure their place in the lineup from game to game.

At the conclusion of the 2014-15 season Brenden Morrow was one of the many players who were set to be Free Agents. While Morrow had expressed interest in returning to the Tampa Bay Lightning for another season and Lightning Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman had not been entirely forthcoming with his intentions, the writing seemed to be on the wall when the Lightning signed right wing Erik Condra from the Ottawa Senators to a three-year deal.

The off-season is about to come to an end and teams around the National Hockey League are about to start their Training Camps. Unfortunately, Brenden Morrow still finds himself without a home. He has not officially announced whether he plans on retiring or if he has been working on a deal with a new team. At this point, there is really no telling what the future holds for the veteran forward.

While we are always sad when we have to say goodbye to one of our own, at the end of the day hockey is much more than just a game. Hockey is a business, and much like every other sort of business venture, the main goal is to build a team that can help you reach your goals. Yzerman obviously didn’t feel that Morrow fit that scheme for the Lightning; however, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t teams out there that could benefit from a veteran forward like Morrow.

What do you think the future holds for Brenden Morrow? Do you think he will find a home with a new team before the 2015-16 season starts or do you think that he will ultimately decide to retire and hang his skates up once and for all? If Morrow were to find a new team, where do you think his talents would be most useful? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Next: Tampa Bay Lightning: Top 5 Can’t Miss Games of 2015-16

Before we close the books on the 2014-15 season once and for all, let’s take a quick look back at the season had by Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Brenden Morrow.

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