2020 NHL Draft prospect profile: Marco Rossi scouting report
By Kyle Pereira
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.