Scouting Report
EVALUATED 05/06/2024
Austin Robson
Regional Scout- Eastern Canada
Projection: Top Six Winger
Projectable Skills: Creativity Off the Rush, In-zone Playmaking, Anticipation on Forecheck
Development Opportunities: Skating, Shot Utilization
In Rozzi, you’re getting one of the more intelligent playmakers in the entire draft class. He’s so good at drawing pressure towards him off the rush before slipping pucks through sticks and bodies to a streaking teammate to create odd man rushes on a frequent basis. He possesses this uncanny ability to spot passing lanes before they open up, often firing passes into an open area before a teammate comes sliding in at the last minute to receive it. The puck doesn’t last very long on his stick in the offensive zone, as he’s often assessing the play a step ahead of his peers and knows where he wants to put the puck before he gets it. His ability to cut off plays from below the goal line due to his high-end anticipation and processing skills is another rare skill in relation to this draft class, and one that I believe will translate to the next level.
The skating is still a work in progress for Rozzi, as he possesses an awkward skating stride and is unable to maintain his speed or gain separation coming out of his turns. Improving this facet of his game will help him create time and space on his own and generate longer possession time through his puck touches. I’d also like to see him use his shot more often, as he often over relies on his playmaking and can give up some opportunities from high-dangera areas to dish off to the flanks.
Skating
6.5Puck Skills
8.5Hockey IQ
9.5Playmaking
9.5Scoring
9Physicality
6Defense
8Overall
8.14Scouting Report
EVALUATED 30/05/2024 Austin Robson
Regional Scout- Eastern Canada
I was very glad Rozzi was able to end his draft season on a high note at this event after a few ups and downs over the course of the year. When he’s on his game there might not be a more intelligent playmaker than Rozzi in this draft class, and throughout this tournament we got to see why. He has this uncanny ability to spot passing lanes before they even open up, often throwing a puck into an open space before a teammate comes dashing in at the last second to receive it in stride. His spatial awareness off the rush is another rare ability for a player his age, as he consistently attacks laterally upon entry to pull defenders away from an area before slipping a pass towards the recently vacated area where a teammate is streaking in. His reading and anticipation of the play around him was highly noticeable as well, as he was able to cut off passes in the offensive zone before delivering a quick no-look pass to the slot area for a scoring chance all in one fell swoop. I would’ve liked to see him utilize his shot more, especially when he was able to cut into the middle of the ice, but this is an easily fixable habit and shouldn’t be a huge red flag at the next level.
Game Reports
EVALUATED 27/05/2024Austin Robson
Regional Scout- Eastern Canada
This was one of those games for Rozzi where he was able to put all his high-end offensive tools together and control the flow of play whenever he was on the ice. He thinks the game one step ahead of most of the other players, and it definitely showed today. He seemed able to know wherever a loose puck would end up, always putting himself in a prime position in the offensive zone to follow up on plays and collect pucks around the zone. It’s almost as if he has this sixth sense of where his teammates are going to be, as there were a few sequences in this game where he would deliver some crafty no-look or behind-the-back passes that somehow found their way on the blade of a teammate. Off the rush he was correctly reading the routes his line mates were taking on zone entries, often launching a puck to an open area to seemingly no one before a teammate of his would enter at the last second and the puck would land right on his stick. Rozzi was even doing a great job on the forecheck, applying pressure to the defender’s forehand side and forcing them to go their backhands on retrievals, where he would often strip them of the puck as well. The skating may still be a bit of a question mark, but when Rozzi is fully engaged and operating at this level, he’s probably the most gifted playmaker in this draft class.
Game Reports
EVALUATED 26/05/2024Kamron Robson
Regional Scout- USA
It was an underwhelming performance for our 4th ranked QMJHL draft-eligible skater for most of the game as he didn’t seem to be as involved in chance creation as much as we’ve seen him do for the Lac St-Louis Lions squad all year but instead, he had very few puck touches and when he did, he seemed a bit timid with the puck. Although as the game went on, I thought he started to return to form a bit more and then dazzled in the third period with a beautiful backhand slip pass to the open slot where Rousseau took a few strides and rifled it over the shoulder of the goaltender. He followed that shift with multiple long offensive zone possessions where he flashed his elite playmaking abilities and creativity along with his elusiveness by weaving through defenders with quick one-touch dekes.
Game Reports
EVALUATED 23/05/2024 Austin Robson
Regional Scout- Eastern Canada
While Rozzi does have a tendency to be a frustrating player, the moments he’s on his game will make you realize that he does have the potential to be a special offensive player. From the drop of the puck he was driving play for his line, often acting as the primary puck carrier on entries and dishing off the rush. He seems to have a sixth sense of where his teammates are, especially off the rush, as he showed the ability to execute a myriad of no-look and drop passes to teammates in space. His anticipation in the offensive zone was creating opportunities offensively as well, as there were several times where he was able to cut off a pass from behind the net and either take the puck to the net for a chance or deliver a quick pass out front to the slot. His small area game was impressive as well, showing off his hands on multiple occasions by beating one or two defenders in tight areas to break open into open ice before delivering a pass to an open teammate. I would’ve liked to see him shoot the puck more in this game, as he did pass up a few shots from the slot, even if I thought his playmaking was clicking on all cylinders today.
Player Card
- All Data is derived via 5v5 per 60 minutes rate displayed in percentile format.
- Data Courtesy of In Slat.
SIGNED:
Saint John Sea Dogs
16/08/2024
LEAGUE PREDICTION
TEAM PREDICTION
TIMELINE
- 2024
16/08/2024
Saint John Sea Dogs sign Dylan Rozzi
- 2024
07/06/2024
Saint John Sea Dogs select Dylan Rozzi in the QMJHL Entry Draft
- 2024
06/05/2024
Youngstown Phantoms select Dylan Rozzi in the USHL Futures Draft
