Interesting. Stutzle has always looked like as good if not a better skater to me than Raymond. Both are terrific though. And while Stutzle's first few strides and top speed are equally impressive, his change of gear and lateral movements while controlling the puck are what stand out most of all. That's where the Kane comparison's apply - the ability to effortlessly carry the puck up between the blue lines really stands out (and we don't have a lot of those players).
Either way, I wouldn't put Stutzle and Rossi's skating in the same sentence. Stutzle forces D to back off or he will fly by them, where Rossi isn't that type of player even in junior. He has decent speed at the OHL level, but is more of maestro out there on the outside, keeping control with his head on a swivel and dishing at the right time, where Stutzle often explodes towards the net with a quick lateral shift or juke to create in close chances. Big gap and differences in how they play.
Rewatching that Stutzle video, it was interesting to see his one-timer adjustments so often for goals (getting a good shot off regardless of whether the pass was front or back foot) and also the penalties he draws. I think he'll help create and convert a lot more powerplays at the NHL level for his team. I'm not sure he's ready for the NHL though, as he really does play pretty high risk (some of those dangles in front of his own net) and flies across the middle with abandon at times. He can't stop doing that, but jumping into the NHL with that playing style unrefined and used to NHL quality could be dangerous. He would be so much fun to watch though.
Oh man, yeah, no. I was just talking about specific aspects of their skating.
Stuetzle is definitely smoother and has better edges than Raymond. No idea who I'd say is the better skater overall; such different players. Just Raymond has the more powerful stride which gives him an element of what I'm calling explosiveness and which I wouldn't ascribe to Stuetzle.
I agree about Stuetzle's lateral movements, gorgeous. I hope I was clear what I meant about Raymond's ability to explode laterally, with Stuetzle it's that full, smooth but rapid lateral change of direction. What I meant about Raymond is his ability to move quickly from side to side while attacking forward.
Raymond is the better player attacking one on one. Stuetzle's forte is using his stickhandling on the perimeter - up and down the boards or across the high slot - to draw guys out of position and create mismatches in coverage (this is where the Kane comparison is strongest IMO).
I've said many times my absolute favorite thing about Stuetzle is his craftiness, putting the puck in people's feet, flipping it over their sticks, bouncing it off the boards or back of the net, he lures people into going after the puck and that's when he pounces. He just makes these seasoned pros in DEL look foolish. But yeah, from there he either uses his elite passing and vision to dish it off, or once he's got them hooked in he'll beat that first guy with a sudden change of speed or direction, or suddenly spin off of them.
Obviously Stuetzle is the much better overall skater than Rossi, that doesn't mean they can't be breathed in the same sentence. I certainly wasn't trying to compare the quality of their skating, but how they use their skating.
You're right that even within that same situation walking off the half wall there are major differences, but they still both excell in weaving across the high slot. Rossi might not be quite on Stuetzle's level as far as edges and deceptiveness, but he is still exceptional in those regards; people tend to vastly underrate Rossi's overall skating ability because he's not the fastest straight line skater.
I enjoyed your response, it helped further break down aspects of those three players' skating and how they use it.