C Marco Rossi - Ottawa 67’s, OHL (2020 Draft)

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jc17

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I’d seriously consider Rossi as high as 2nd overall. Laf is the clear #1, but after that I find it very tough to rank Byfield, Rossi, Stutzle, Drysdale and Raymond. I like Rossi’s game A LOT, though. I think in terms of vision/playmaking, he’s right here with Laf for best in the draft. Great hands, great skating (no idea why some criticize this, he’s an excellent skater), good shot, competes hard, strong on the puck, and plays a high IQ, effective defensive game. Really, the only strikes against him are his size and age (one of the older players in the draft). But he’s got a super polished, NHL ready game, and IMO will be an impact player in the NHL next year.

Ultimately, I’d probably take Byfield 2nd, he’s not as good as Rossi or Stutzle today, but his upside is too high to pass up. One of the youngest players in the draft, 6’4” C, great skater, terrific tools, somewhat raw game but still put up almost 2 PPG in the OHL. After Byfield though, I’m in the minority that would take Rossi over Stutzle. He’s smaller and not quite as explosive, but IMO has a decent edge in terms of hockey IQ, shooting and defensive play. I give him the edge over Stutzle (who I’d take 4th).
Its dumb that you even have to defend that opinion so much.

There is never a draft that goes by in which the results dont align with the consensus. But still, there's always people who will say "how could you put player X ahead of player Y".

I'm torn on Stutzle vs Rossi. I think Stutzle is a little more boom or bust, but if he develops into his potential could be incredible. Rossi does too much well to completely bust, regardless of his size.
 

57special

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Every year we get disappointing picks in the top 10, if not top 5. Pro leagues, never mind the NHL, have a way of exposing the flaws in a junior player's game.
 

JeffreyLFC

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He's also the smallest and outside of Perfetti, has the worst size/skating combo.
His skating is more than fine and he plays way bigger than his size. Actually his skating, agility, acceleration are all very good to great. His core strenght and low center of gravity make him very hard to push around. I have no worries for him.

It does not seem to bother Marchand, Aho, Marner, Kucherov, P.Kane so much.
 
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simonedvinsson

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His skating is more than fine and he plays way bigger than his size. Actually his skating, agility, acceleration are all very good to great. His core strenght and low center of gravity make him very hard to push around. I have no worries for him.

It does not seem to bother Marchand, Aho, Marner, Kucherov, P.Kane so much.
This. I don’t understand where this criticism of his skating comes from. He’s a great skater. He doesn’t play at top speed all the time cause he doesn’t have to, but he’s got good speed, good edgework, strong legs, balance, et cetera.
 

SympathyForTheDevils

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His skating is more than fine and he plays way bigger than his size. Actually his skating, agility, acceleration are all very good to great. His core strenght and low center of gravity make him very hard to push around. I have no worries for him.

It does not seem to bother Marchand, Aho, Marner, Kucherov, P.Kane so much.

"Plays bigger than his size" always scares me, for a junior player. You can outmuscle junior players simply by having a high level of conditioning, which by all accounts, Rossi has. But that's not something that necessarily translates to the NHL level.

Also, all the players you've named are significantly taller than Rossi, except Marchand. Being 5'9 is a significant limitation, even for players like Gaudreau, Krug, Marchessault and Marchand who have managed to become high-level NHL players.
 
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JeffreyLFC

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"Plays bigger than his size" always scares me, for a junior player. You can outmuscle junior players simply by having a high level of conditioning, which by all accounts, Rossi has. But that's not something that necessarily translates to the NHL level.

Also, all the players you've named are significantly taller than Rossi, except Marchand. Being 5'9 is a significant limitation, even for players like Gaudreau, Krug, Marchessault and Marchand who have managed to become high-level NHL players.
What is wrong with players playing bigger than their size? I mean it's not their fault that they play against junior aged players.

Look at this way, Gallagher is one of the hardest player to play against in the NHL, he plays physical, never back down and can endure all the physical abuse from opponent. He is relentless. He did that since his junior time. Should you pass on him because he played bigger than his size for pretty much all his career. At the opposite of the spectrum a guy like Byfield is build like linebacker but he plays like a fly and rarely initiate physical contact. Is that really a good trait in a prospect?

Honestly wtf are the supposed advantage of those 2 inches?
Let's take player, A: 5'9 185 pounds, very strong built, very elusive skater, B: 5'11 172 pounds very lean and skinny built. Is players B very much in physical advantage over player A?
 
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Pavel Buchnevich

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Honestly wtf are the supposed advantage of those 2 inches?
Let's take player, A: 5'9 185 pounds, very strong built, very elusive skater, B: 5'11 172 pounds very lean and skinny built. Is players B very much in physical advantage over player B?

I’m also interested to know if anyone has a good answer because I can’t think of it, but it’s hard to ignore the numbers. It seems to matter, if you look at the numbers.
 

SympathyForTheDevils

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What is wrong with players playing bigger than their size? I mean it's not their fault that they play against junior aged players.

Look at this way, Gallagher is one of the hardest player to play against in the NHL, he plays physical, never back down and can endure all the physical abuse from opponent. He is relentless. He did that since his junior time. Should you pass on him because he played bigger than his size for pretty much all his career. At the opposite of the spectrum a guy like Byfield is build like linebacker but he plays like a fly and rarely initiate physical contact. Is that really a good trait in a prospect?

Honestly wtf are the supposed advantage of those 2 inches?
Let's take player, A: 5'9 185 pounds, very strong built, very elusive skater, B: 5'11 172 pounds very lean and skinny built. Is players B very much in physical advantage over player B?

Player B likely has a longer stick, and longer reach. It's a significant asset when it comes to play away from the puck. But beyond that, it's an unusual scenario. 5'11 players are, on average, bigger than 5'9 players.

It's hard to ignore that even successful NHLers of that size tend to struggle in physical battles and get overpowered more often. Not saying that Rossi can't overcome that, but it's still a limitation.
 

simonedvinsson

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May 26, 2020
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Player B likely has a longer stick, and longer reach. It's a significant asset when it comes to play away from the puck. But beyond that, it's an unusual scenario. 5'11 players are, on average, bigger than 5'9 players.

It's hard to ignore that even successful NHLers of that size tend to struggle in physical battles and get overpowered more often. Not saying that Rossi can't overcome that, but it's still a limitation.
Stick length can be great, but then you’ve got guys like Forsberg, who always played with a short stick, despite his size, and he used that length to his advantage. Length gives you reach. Shortness gives you more control.
 

SympathyForTheDevils

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Feb 22, 2010
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Stick length can be great, but then you’ve got guys like Forsberg, who always played with a short stick, despite his size, and he used that length to his advantage. Length gives you reach. Shortness gives you more control.

Very true, though Forsberg likely still covered more ice with a short stick than Rossi will.

I don't mean to sound too down on Rossi, I think he's a wonderful player. I just think people are too quick to handwave away size concerns. We keep saying we're in a new hockey era, but there aren't many more NHL regulars under 5'10 now than there were in 2004 (27 vs 22 with at least 20 games played). Size is still a helpful, projectable quality for an NHL player, and smaller players still have to work harder, be smarter and skate faster than their peers to make an impact.
 
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