Hagg had experience playing RHD, Morin didn't.
If they thought Morin could handle RHD, he'd probably would have beaten out Hagg.
People talke as if the opening day lineup was writ in stone.
Hextall said when he sent Morin down he expected him to play last year, I think he sees the Phantoms as roster "hamburger helper" since they're less than 2 hours from South Philly. So sending a NHL ready guy down is more like stashing him than anything else, letting him stay fresh by playing on a regular basis. On the road it's more complicated, because it can take a day or two to catch up to the team.
Curious, are there any rules preventing an AHL player from practicing with the team on a Phantom off day just in case, say if they were uncertain about an injury and wanted a player to be ready without having to make a transaction until they have an injury update?