With Benn slated to watch the tilt from the press box at Scottrade Center, Joe Morrow will suit up for the first time since January 7 against the Vancouver Canucks at the Bell Centre.
Following Tuesday's morning skate, Julien explained his reasoning behind the switch that will see Benn miss just his second game of the season - and his first since October 17 when he was also a healthy scratch in San Jose.
"We need more from certain players. Right now, he's the one on defense who's struggling the most. He's losing a lot of his battles along the boards," said Julien. "We want the puck to move better, especially on breakouts."
That's not to say that Julien isn't a fan of Benn's overall game. He is. But, it was time to make a move.
"He's a good player. We like him. If it was a vote on popularity, he'd be in, because he's a good team player. Just because he's sitting out isn't because we don't like the guy, it's because he's been struggling," mentioned Julien. "You have to make hockey decisions, not popularity decisions. This is where we are right now. There are other guys back there that are struggling. If they don't pick up their game, they'll get their turn as well."
For his part, Morrow has spent the last seven games waiting for an opportunity to return. Julien is hopeful that the 25-year-old rearguard - who has three goals and seven points in 26 outings on the year - can step up and deliver at both ends of the ice.
"We want guys who skate well, who are capable of moving the puck… We're giving him another chance to prove himself," said Julien, before identifying one important aspect of Morrow's game that needs improvement. "We all know that Joe's biggest challenge is on the defensive side of things. He has to be better in the defensive zone and help eliminate plays."
In fact, Julien insists that his entire group has to find an extra gear going forward - with and without the puck.
"We can be better in many situations. The last game [against Carolina], just because we scored five goals doesn't mean we were really good offensively. On the whole, the players have to be a lot better," insisted Julien. "We can do a better job defending, whether it's with our angles or one-on-one. Those are things that the team has shown they're capable of doing in some games this year."
