If the opportunity is there, the Montreal Canadiens must draft Marco Rossi
By Omar L
That hasn’t been confirmed, it was discussed before this current 24-team playoff plan was voted on. However, it seems likely that this is going to stick to avoid further chaos amongst organizations.
Even though the Montreal Canadiens can’t draft one of Alexis Lafrenière and Quinton Byfield, it doesn’t mean they’re not going to get a good player. Scouts have been raving about this year’s draft, and the top-ten is loaded with talent after Lafrenière and Byfield are selected. For example, Marco Rossi.
The Austrian centre destroyed not only the Ontario Hockey League this season, but the entire Canadian Hockey League. Rossi put up 39 goals and 81 assists for 120 points in 56 games this season with Ottawa 67’s. That was a 55-point increase from his rookie year in Ottawa that saw him score 29 goals and 36 assists in three fewer games.
Rossi’s stat line was the most amongst any player in the CHL, and the season was cut short! That’s how incredible of a year he had in Ottawa helping the team clinch first in the conference, division and entire league.
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The one thing scouts continuously bring up about Rossi is his competitiveness. Whether it’s driving into the zone, playing around the boards, or in front of the net, the 18-year-old works and fights for his ice. Rossi makes use of his explosive skating and edgework to bypass and beat the opposition and has the elite hockey sense and stickhandling to generate even at top-speed.
Another positive sign is his domination at every level. Before making the jump to the NHL, Rossi played in Switzerland, seeing 34 games with the GCK Lions U20. As a 16-year-old, he scored 22 goals and 29 assists for a total of 51 points. Rossi had the same amount of points (28 goals and 23 assists) the year before as a 15-year-old in five fewer games.
He got a bump up in that 2017-18 year playing 18 games for the GC Küsnacht Lions. It wasn’t as explosive, but 4 goals and 3 assists amongst men at 16 is still impressive.