Oilers Ink Moroz To Entry Level Deal

The Edmonton Oilers have signed 2012 second round pick Mitch Moroz to a three year entry level deal.

Moroz is currently third in scoring on the Oil Kings (WHL) with 34 points (21-13-34) in 35 games, trailing Henrik Sameulsson and Curtis Lazar.

When Moroz was selected as the first pick of the second round in 2012, I thought it was a pretty big stretch.  (I was hoping the Oilers would've went with defenceman Matt Finn, but the Leafs got him at 35th overall.)  He's a big guy who had fairly pedestrian numbers for his first two years with the Oil Kings, but this year's been a bit different.  He's gotten a fair bit of time with Lazar and Samuelsson, and he's produced.

Moroz is 6'2" and over 200 lbs,  Naturally, this makes him a big hit among the "we need more grit and toughness" crowd, he's a physical player who's not afraid to drop the mitts.  And while "toughness" is certainly a nice thing to have, I'm more interested in his boxcars.

If Moroz's offense is truly progressing, I'm much more enthusiastic about him getting his deal than if his numbers are more of a result of who he's playing with.

So which one is it?  Is Moroz improving as a player, or is his recent success more of who he's playing with?