2020 NHL Draft prospect profile: Marco Rossi scouting report
Marco Rossi is quickly emerging as one of the top prospects eligible for the 2020 NHL Draft.
The 2020 NHL draft is stock-piled with high-end talent. Each week, I will attempt to give you at least one scouting report on all the prospects you need to know! I’ve previously written deep-dives on Alexis Lafreniere, Quinton Byfield, Lucas Raymond, Cole Perfetti, Anton Lundell, Alexander Holtz, Tim Stützle, and Noel Gunler. Today, I will be looking at Marco Rossi.
Before I begin, for those that don’t know, here’s how these scouting reports go. First, I will begin with some general background information and statistics from that player. Then, I will break down the player’s tendencies, habits, and roles on special teams.
Following that up, I will break down the positives and negatives in the prospects’ game. Finally, I will look at what I feel is the potential of that player, as well as his NHL-readiness.
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Background
Rossi, born September 23rd, 2001, in Feldkirch, Austria, is a left-handed center for the Ottawa 67’s in the Ontario Hockey League. The 18-year-old center stands at 5’9″, 179 pounds, making him one of the smaller players in this draft. He has been ranked 8th by HockeyProspects.com, 7th by Future Considerations, 9th by ISS Hockey, and 8th by Elite Prospects.
Rossi first made a name for himself in the 2017-18 season. He played a majority of his games in the U-20 Elit league in Switzerland for the GCK Lions. In 34 games, Rossi recorded 22 goals and 51 points, earning a spot on the top men’s Swiss league, the NLB. He played 18 games with the NLB’s GC Kusnacht Lions, and he produced at a decent clip, scoring four goals with seven points.
He was sent back down to the GCK Lions U-20 team for the playoffs, where he played nine additional games. Rossi put up five goals and 10 points. He played five games for his nation at the U-18 World Juniors, recording four goals and seven points. Rossi played another five games with Austria’s U-20 World Junior team, as he put up three goals and five points.
Following his strong outing in Switzerland, the Austrian center took his talents to the OHL with the 67’s for next season. In his first-ever season in North America, Rossi was mighty impressive with 29 goals and 65 points in 53 games played. He played an additional 17 playoff games, where he put up six goals and 22 points.
Rossi’s Tendencies
Before I get started, I just want to say thank you to ProspectShifts for providing me with shift-by-shift videos on many 2020 NHL draft-eligible prospects.
To start with Rossi’s tendencies, let’s look at the offensive zone first. Rossi shows a willingness to pass-first before looking to get the puck on net. Many players in this class have shown that trait from what I have seen.
But one thing that is somewhat unique among other 2020 prospects is his willingness to get to the dirty areas. He constantly parks himself right in front of the opposing goalie, using his body as a screen. It also allows him to finish rebounds or score goals off deflections.
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Rossi plays with tenacity, always looking to finish his checks. He isn’t afraid to line someone up and knock them down or run through them. Rossi also knows when to go for the big hits and when to sit back and play smart. He could be a difference-maker at the next level if he continues to utilize this aspect of his game, as this style instills energy into your team.
However, with the way the game is trending, this aspect could be looked at as a dying style, and scare some teams away. That said, I like the aggressiveness and determination he shows through this style of play.
On special teams, he plays the point and half-wall area on the powerplay. Rossi is good at moving up and down on his passing side, looking for passing or shooting lanes. Meanwhile, on the penalty kill, Rossi plays the top-left of the box formation. He attacks the point effectively and is not afraid of getting in front of shots.
Despite playing fairly well on the PK, Rossi doesn’t seem engaged in the defensive zone at even strength. He is constantly looking up ice and oftentimes loses his man in coverage. You can see him racing towards the offensive zone the second his team gets possession, which, as a center, is a really bad habit.
Positives and Negatives
Rossi is a very fast skater, however, he isn’t perfect. He needs to work on his first-step and acceleration, as he somewhat lacks in those areas. You can tell it takes him a few strides before he hits his full-speed, and with the ever-evolving speed in the NHL, it makes what seems like a small set-back a major one.
Another tidbit on his skating is his energy level. As stated earlier, Rossi plays with tenacity, and it shows in the way he constantly moves his feet. He doesn’t stop moving for a second if the puck is nearby.
As for Rossi’s hockey senses, he plays more of a high-octane, aggressive style as opposed to a more laid back and “out-smart your opponent” style, unlike several other prospects I’ve looked at. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a high IQ, however. He is good at reading the play and knows when to step up and when to stay back. Rossi isn’t always looking to play his bashful style and can outsmart opponents. He just doesn’t always rely on his senses like most of the 2020 prospects.
His pass-first tendencies, along with his statistics, make it clear that Rossi’s strong suit is his ability to make plays. It’s shown first in the way he displays his patience, waiting as long as he can for a play to unfold in front of him.
Not only that, but he also displays incredible vision, finding open teammates that most other players wouldn’t see. His passes are consistently flat on the ice, on target, and with the right touch, depending on the distance the puck must travel.
Playmaking isn’t just simply limited to passing, as stickhandling helps create room and, well, make plays. That being said, he is good at protecting the puck, as well as having the ability to pull off a quick deke from time-to-time to get past a defender. Overall, Rossi plays a smart game and doesn’t try to force plays, whether with a pass or a quick dangle. He tends to play smart and make the simple plays, rather than risk turning the puck over.
As for goal-scoring, Rossi has the capabilities to be a 20-goal man at the NHL level. He’s got a quick release that can fool goaltenders. His shot is very accurate as well, making him dangerous from the mid to low-points in the offensive zone, which is where he is often found.
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However, his shot does lack power and is a bit inconsistent, which does ultimately mean he has a few minor tweaks to make in that area. Because he loves parking himself in front of the net, I watched what he did when he had the puck around the crease.
I noticed that he combined his strong stickhandling abilities with his accurate shooting to beat the goalies in tight. This is a very good trait to have, especially if he is used as a net-front presence at the next level.
On the forecheck, as you could imagine with the way I have already described his game, he is extremely successful. His aggressiveness and speed when attacking the opposition overwhelms them and often leads to direct takeaways or eventual turnovers.
While backchecking, Rossi is a bit more inconsistent. His need to improve on his first-step is shown in this area, as he can’t effectively backcheck if he doesn’t get a step ahead of the opposition. However, all-in-all, he is effective when forechecking and taking the puck away in the neutral zone.
On the breakout, Rossi’s bad habit of cheating up ice does hurt him a bit. However, he is so good at carrying the puck through the neutral zone. He is lethal in transition, making it look super easy as he weaves between several opposing players.
Again, his smart, risk-free style of play helps him to not turn the puck over. He will dump the puck in if he can’t find a teammate or a lane to skate through. He does not turn the puck over much at all. Not to mention, he is very good at faceoffs.
In the defensive zone, more specifically on the PK, Rossi is reliable. He does a very good job of attacking the opposition with speed and precision. He is willing to put his body in front of a shot, which he then blocks and moves up ice quickly.
He also uses an active stick with efficiency. While he attacks with speed, he holds his stick out in front of his body and waves it around, forcing the opposing player to feel rushed and forcing plays. His active stick also helps to plug up passing lanes and not giving his opponents many lanes to exploit.
Potential, NHL Comparison, and NHL Readiness
Rossi is a no-nonsense, risk-free hockey player. He has the potential to be explosive and game-changing but ultimately decides to take it slow and explore all options and find the best play to make. Because of this, in my opinion, it does put a limit on Rossi’s ceiling, but it does make him a bit of a safe pick at the same time.
That said, Rossi has the ability to be a high-end first-line center that may tight-rope the line between being elite or being an effective first-line forward. However, he plays a smart and strong game that a lot of GMs and teams would love to have, and he already has a strong base of skills, which leads me to believe that, at worst, he would be an effective middle-six winger.
As for Rossi’s NHL readiness, he doesn’t seem too far away from a roster spot. But again, his lack of explosiveness may also hold him back. It’s difficult to pinpoint when he will be able to compete in the NHL, but I feel as though 2 to 3 years is a safe assumption.
Before I look at Rossi’s NHL comparison, keep in mind that this is a stylistic comparison, and is in no way an example of how good a player can or will become.
Rossi, to me, looks similar to a guy like Chris Kreider. Kreider brings a physical presence with offensive capabilities that make him effective in a top-6 role. He’s also decent in the defensive zone but isn’t going to be winning the Selke trophy any time soon.
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Rossi falls into that similar profile, where he plays physical but also can rack up points. Also like Kreider, his defensive capabilities won’t win him any awards or get much credit, but it isn’t a set-back by any means either.