National Hockey League staffs are beginning to come around on smaller offensive prospects, no longer writing off a player standing under five-foot-ten no matter his level of talent. Too many players who were disregarded on the basis of their height alone have gone on to be stars in a new era that focuses on skating speed and tempo. Shorter players with skill will get their opportunities in a game where you can’t just latch onto an opponent and take away all of his space.
The shift in mindset allowed Cole Caufield to be taken in the first half of the opening round in 2019, and it’s going to benefit Marco Rossi the most this fall.