Gross is a big body, right-shot centre who is proficient in the faceoff circle. He won nearly 60 per cent of his draws at St. Cloud this season. Gross consistently averaged over 20 minutes of ice time while being deployed in all situations.

He leans shooter more than natural distributor and uses his size as an advantage when he stations himself around his opponent’s crease, especially on the power play when setting screens. I’m comfortable with his skating on straight lines, but Gross will be challenged to continue improving his small-area agility and edge work at the pro level.

Gross is considered by many to be the top free agent on the board this year. He had 45 points in his first two college campaigns combined and nearly matched that this season alone. He’s an excellent skater who consistently creates plays at a high pace. Gross generates high-quality chances often and spends a lot of time around the net looking to bag home some rebounds. Gross is physical, smart and always involved, with and without the puck. Many teams have been linked to Gross, but many expect the Calgary Flames, who brought Gross to development camp in the past, to be the frontrunner for the 6-foot-3 forward.