WILMINGTON — Just a month shy of his 22d birthday, Joe Morrow already qualifies as a well-traveled hockey player. He was drafted in 2011 by the Pittsburgh Penguins — in the first round, no less — then traded to the Dallas Stars for Brenden Morrow, then traded to the Bruins in the Tyler Seguin/Loui Eriksson deal in the summer of 2013.
That’s three organizations in three seasons. And no NHL games.
That last part changed last week when Morrow made his NHL debut in Buffalo, called upon after injuries to defensemen Zdeno Chara, Kevan Miller, and Torey Krug, combined with the decision to sit Matt Bartkowski.
And Morrow, along with fellow call-ups Zach Trotman and David Warsofsky, has helped to settle the Bruins’ defense in a time that could have been precarious for the team. Instead, the Bruins have won three straight with Morrow on the ice.
“I think he’s been a good player,” said coach Claude Julien. “I liked him last year when I saw him in Providence. The first time I saw him early in the season, I came back and told Peter [Chiarelli], I said, ‘This guy really impressed me.’
“He comes in here in camp, a guy that has a lot of confidence in himself and doesn’t get rattled, that’s a pretty good quality to have. Some guys get rattled and the tougher it gets, the worse they get. He doesn’t seem to get fazed by much.”
It might be his confidence. It might be having a short-term memory. Either way, Julien has been impressed with the poise shown by Morrow.
And though the coach might not exactly say it this way, that’s in marked contrast to Bartkowski.
“I like the fact that he’s confident,” Julien said. “You like seeing that as a coach. You don’t like seeing a player who’s afraid to make a mistake. You’d rather see a player go out there and play.”
Bartkowski, before he was moved to healthy scratch status, essentially admitted that he had lost his confidence, and that he was playing to avoid mistakes. He was on the ice for two goals against in his last game (against the Wild), both of which were direct results of misplays by him.
He hasn’t played since the second of those scores.
Morrow, meanwhile, hasn’t presented any of those issues in his brief stint in the NHL. He is plus-2 in three games, compared with Bartkowski’s minus-4 in five games.
“I feel like I progressively get a little better, a little more comfortable as the night goes on and each game, if that,” Morrow said. “The main thing is just to keep progressing, keep getting better, day in and day out.
“So that’s what I’m trying to focus to do: Keep it simple and try and live it day to day.”
Of course, simple isn’t exactly his usual style.
“I was never really known for simple play, but it seems to be benefiting this team — slightly,” Morrow said, smiling. “I can’t say it’s been all me. This team’s just so talented up front and with all the players around you, you may as well give them the puck and let them do the work.
“All I need to do is try and keep it out of my net. Definitely the simple style of play is a little different for me, but it’s proved to work out pretty good.”
Morrow hasn’t been shy about shooting, either. He has managed to land a whopping eight shots on goal, including four in the win over the Panthers on Tuesday. For reference, that’s one more than forward Gregory Campbell has in nine games.
“We’re talking about a first-rounder here,” Julien said. “To be a first-rounder, you have to show some pretty good qualities. So for me he has a lot going. His shot is a good shot. He’s got a quick release.
“He’s not standing there afraid to make a play or a pass, depending on who’s out there with him. He doesn’t care. He’ll do what he thinks is the right play at that time. Some people are intimidated or in awe of certain guys that they’ve been watching their whole life. He doesn’t care, more or less, and I like that attitude.”
Krejci skates alone
David Krejci, who has missed the last two games with an undisclosed injury, was on the ice before the Bruins practiced Wednesday at Ristuccia Arena. The center, who was in defenseman’s black, left shortly after his teammates arrived on the ice and did not take part in the full team practice. “He skated today, that’s progress to me,” Julien said. “That’s a good sign, to see him out there. He felt pretty good, so nice to see that.” Julien said he did not know whether Krejci would play Thursday against the Oilers. “If there’s still some doubt, then he’s not going to be playing, but if he’s 100 percent, I don’t want him watching,” Julien said . . . The Oilers practiced at Boston University. Former Bruin Benoit Pouliot skated with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle in place of the injured Taylor Hall. Former Bruin Andrew Ference also will not play, as he is serving a three-game suspension for a hit to the head.
Amalie Benjamin can be reached at abenjamin@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @amaliebenjamin.