New York Rangers draft preview: Lottery picks

Tim Stutzle, left wing- DEL (Germany)

Ratings are mixed when it come to Stutzle, ranked the top European prospect by NHL Central Scouting.  Craig Button and ISS Hockey had him ranked second overall.  Everyone has him in the top five except Eliteprospects.com (eighth overall) and The Hockey News (sixth overall).

Stutzle just turned 18 in January and is 6’1″ and 187 pounds.  He played this season for Mannheim in the German league and scored seven goals and 34 points in 41 games.  Germany was in the relegation round of the WJC so he didn’t get much international attention, but is still highly regarded.

Pronman of The Athletic said “Stutzle is a complete forward. He has a lot of skill and can make tough plays, and he is a very good skater. His ability to play high-end skill plays at quick speeds has let him be so successful as a pro. ”  Pronman also projects him as a center and not a winger according to NHL scouts.

Craig Button is very high on Sutzle and has him going second overall.  “He’s pure excitement and plays the game in a similar fashion to Patrick Kane…He’s quick on his skates and has a fast mind. He’s extremely confident and manages to do things in the game offensively that are completely unexpected. ”

Stutzle was a Mannheim teammate of defenseman Mortiz Seider who was selected sixth overall last June by the Detroit Red Wings.

Jamie Drysdale, defense – OHL

Jamie Drysdale is rated the top defenseman in a draft that is thin on stud d-men.  He is the only defenseman to be ranked in the top ten by any of the experts we surveyed. As the best blueliner in the draft he could go as high as third overall.

Drysdale just turned 18 and is on the small side for a defenseman at 5’11” and 170 pounds.

Button had him ranked as the fifth overall skater and said “I see a player who has command and confidence in every situation. He has the potential to be a top-pairing defenceman at the NHL level.”

Drysdale is a righthanded shot who finished with nine goals and 47 points in 49 games for the Erie Otters.

Marco Rossi, center – OHL

Marco Rossi is an Austrian who came over to play for the Ottawa 67’s in the OHL for the last two seasons.  This year he lit up the league with 39 goals and 120 points in 56 games.  He almost doubled his output from the season before.

All of our experts have Rossi going in the top ten with Eliteprospects.com ranking him third overall and Cory Pronman of the Athletic having him going fourth. Pronman projects him as a potential number one center in the NHL and raves about him. “Rossi is an exciting player due to his skill and IQ. He can make highly skilled plays seem routine and is a great passer…He’s not the quickest small player you’ll ever see, but he has a powerful stride and will be able to pressure NHL defenders with speed.”

The knock on Rossi is his size.  He is 5’9″ and weighs 187 pounds. He is one of the older 2020 draft-eligible players and will turn 19 before next season.  It has to be significant that he was the best player on the best team in the OHL.   Ottawa blew away the competition, with 102 points when the season was suspended.