Roslovic made a name for himself with his play during international tournaments, most notably his production during the U18 World Junior Tournament, which saw him score six goals and add five assists, for eleven points in seven games.
He finished fourth in scoring among all U.S. National U18 team players this season, behind a pair of top prospects available for the 2016 draft; Austin Matthews and Matthew Tkachuk, as well as the diminutive scoring machine Jeremy Bracco. He finished ahead of potential 2015 first-round targets like Colin White and Jordan Greenway.
Place of Birth: Columbus, Ohio
Shoots: Right
Position: Centre / Right Wing
Heigth: 6’1″ Weight: 183lbs
Roslovic isn’t getting much attention from scouts and pundits ahead of the entry draft, and there’s a somewhat understandable reason why; he played alongside Matthews and Tkachuk for the majority of the season. There’s some concern that his production is complimentary, rather than having the ability to create scoring chances on his own. That being said, the fact of the matter is that Roslovic has done a great job at creating offense at every level, mostly thanks to his high-end playmaking skills, his great vision, and deceptive speed.
Scouting
Thrived on the top line ably complementing 2016 eligible phenom’s Matthew Tkachuk and Auston Matthews. Excelled internationally competing with the elite in his peer group. A slippery, instinctive playmaker who sees openings and makes sharp passes through a maze of players. Extremely skilled at creating puck movement with his stickhandling – and then deftly dishing off a play on his backhand. A clever winger who plays an effective supportive offensive role getting into good shooting lanes but often looking to pass first – understanding that he will get it back. Superb pivoting and transitions while moving that support his body positioning to receive passes. A gifted skater with great outside speed, whose appearance is slightly awkward with unique skating mechanics and foundationFuture Considerations
This center is one of the smartest players available in the 2015 draft. His hockey sense is off the charts–he is able to make the right, safe plays quickly. Fast feet help Roslovic accelerate quickly and build up a head of steam as he drives down the ice with an eye on the net. He seems to slow a bit in turns, but is nonetheless an agile player who can act like a bar of wet soap in defensive coverage. A relatively safe and smart player, he showed flashes of very good stick skills and is an offensive weapon off the rush with his vision, creativity and playmaking skills. He has a very deceptive shot: extremely quick and heavy relative to his size. He has been relied on as the team’s top defensive center playing against the U18’s squad’s top opposition.
“He was the USHL’s big riser in the second half this year. He struggles at times inside the dots but when I look at the flaws in his game compared to some other players we had in his grouping, he rated out well head to head. I liked him a lot in my late season viewings. I thought he had a strong U18.” – Mark EdwardsRankings
Future Considerations: 33rd
Hockey Prospect: 24th
Craig Button: 28th
McKeen’s: 26th
Bob McKenzie: 34th
Thoughts
His defensive prowess makes him an interesting prospect, even if the Matthews & Tkachuk concerns are quite legitimate.
Unfortunately for the Canadiens, they do not own a second-round pick, indicating that they’ll probably lean towards a player with fewer question marks than Roslovic. He’s certainly a quality player, but is he first-round worthy? Teams that possess multiple picks among the top 60 may say yes, but the Habs don’t have that luxury.
