DRAFT: Marco Rossi Profile

As part of our Road to the Draft content series, NewJerseyDevils.com will be profiling the top North American and European skaters eligible for the upcoming 2020 NHL Draft. This will allow Devils and hockey fans at large to familiarize themselves with the next class of NHL talent. We now take a look at Ottawa 67's center, Marco Rossi.

AGE: 18

COUNTRY: Austria

HEIGHT: 5-9

WEIGHT: 183

POSITION: Center

SHOOTS: L

DRAFT YEAR PRODUCTION: 56 GP, 39 G, 81 A, 120 PTS

WHAT'S THE BUZZ

"He's got great lower body strength, he understands game, he's smart and he's really competitive. Marco, to me like Alexis Lafreniere, I think they're the two players that are ready to come into the NHL and contribute in the 2020-21 season."

-TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button

CUT TO THE CHASE

Marco Rossi is a player all hockey fans should expect to follow for years to come. Craig Button, TSN's Director of Scouting, believes that Rossi is one of two players that could play next season in the NHL. The other player Button believes is ready? Alexis Lafreniere, who is expected to go first overall in this year's draft.

Rossi spent the past two season playing in the Ontario Hockey League for the Ottawa 67s, an organization the Devils know very well. In this most recent season, Rossi had 120 points in 56 games. He lead all players in the OHL and Canadian Hockey League in assists and points this season. To break down the 120 points he had - Rossi scored 39 goals and had 81 assists this season alone. That's an average of 2.14 points a game.

His performance in the OHL this past season earned Rossi quite a few awards. He was named the OHL's Most Outstanding Player in 2019-20, and became the second-ever European import to win the award. He also was named First-Team All-Star following the season.

When Craig Button was discussing Rossi's growth on the Speak of the Devils podcast, he discussed a time watching Rossi play three games within three days. Although Button tries to stay away from three straight days of watching one prospect, he was thoroughly impressed by Rossi.

"I remember within ten minutes of the first period, I was like, I just watched this young man develop, in less than 72 hours," explained Button, who credits a lot of Rossi's development to his 67s coach Andre Tourigny. "Marco ended up with a coach that is brilliant, not just in terms of how he coaches a team but understanding his players. So for me, like Marco couldn't have ended up in a better spot."

Button isn't the only one who knows how much Rossi has improved, the Austrian center believes he improved in all areas of his game this past season with the 67s.

"I would say everything. My body got much better from my first season to the second. My shot got better. My skill set go better. I got faster, bigger, stronger, so I improved everything," Rossi told TSN's Mark Masters in May.

Rossi, who is ranked as the sixth-best North American skater for this year's draft, is confident that he will be ready to compete at the NHL level when the time comes for him.

"I have a lot of confidence and I know how good I am," said Rossi in an interview with TSN. "I can play on the next stage and that's the NHL for me. Like I said, I'm confident."

Rossi has shown he knows not only how to score, but how to be a playmaker. He will be a strong offensive power in the League and will be someone who teams rely on to be a difference-maker game in and game out, especially as he develops.

His NHL Scouting report states he "works hard in all three zones and plays a very determined, aggressive game." The best player comparable for Rossi is Brad Marchand, who is an impact player for the Boston Bruins. Whoever drafts Rossi in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft will add a strong offensive weapon to their franchise for years to come, and one that will be ready to play sooner rather than later.

Did You Know?

If Rossi is picked on the first day of the 2020 Draft, he will join Thomas Vanek and Michael Grabner as one of the three Austrian Nationals drafted in the first round. Depending on where he is picked he also has the potential to be the highest-drafted Austrian in the NHL Draft. Vanek was picked fifth overall in 2003 and Grabner was fourteenth in 2006. If he's one of the first four off the board, he'll make history in that regard as well.