2007-08 Rink Wrap: Shaone Morrisonn

From Backstrom to Steckel, we're taking a quick look at and grading the 2007-08 season for every player* who laced 'em up for the Caps during the campaign (and is still with the team) with an eye towards 2008-09. Next up, Shaone Morrisonn.

Contract Status: RFA; 2007-08 salary of $900,000
Age (as of October 1, 2008): 25
NHL Seasons (including 2007-08): 4+
2007-08 Regular Season Stats: 76 games played, 1 goal, 9 assists, +4, 63 PIMs
Key Stat: In 55 games under Bruce Boudreau, Morrisonn had a plus-14 rating.
Interesting Stat: Morrisonn had his best month, point-wise (4), in November, but it was also his worst month in plus/minus (-5).

The Good: Morrisonn was tied for third among Caps blueliners in hits and tied for second in takeaways. He skated the second most shifts per game on the team, was fourth in average ice time and still managed to cut his penalty minutes by more than 40% from last year, despite playing against opponents' top lines. As tough as they come, Mo played all seven games in the playoffs with a broken jaw and a separated shoulder. Oh, and he tied for the regular season team lead in percentage of faceoffs won.

The Bad: Morrisonn had only 47 shots on goal and an atrocious 2.1 shooting percentage, but when you're Mike Green's partner, it's not your job to score - it's your job to cover his butt. Still, Mo's offensive numbers declined for the second consecutive season on a team whose goal totals have risen at even strength (but declined on the power play) over that span, and he had the fewest points per minute of ice time on the team, as well as his personal career low in points per game (not including his 11-game 2002-03). Mo was second on the team in minor penalties, and got jumped by Vinny Lecavalier in his one fight of the year (which isn't necessarily bad on Mo, but I wanted to mention it, so there it is).

The Interview: Be sure to check out Garrett's post-season interview with Mo (parts I and II) over at Puckhead's Thoughts.

The Vote: Rate Morrisonn on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best) based on his performance relative to his potential for the season - if he had the best year you could have imagined him having, give him a 10; if he more or less played as you expected he would, give him a 5 or a 6; if he had the worst year you could have imagined him having, give him a 1.

The Questions: Is Morrisonn a legitimate number one shutdown defenseman? What will it take for him to earn a 10 rating next year?

If you've missed any of the previous 2007-08 Rink Wraps, click here, get caught up, and vote - polls will stay open for a while.

* And by "every," we mean every one who played more than just a handful of games.