Vaughn Ridley

Fantasy Summary

Gross is a quick thinking, sharp passing, strong defensive defenseman who could potentially wind up in an NHL teams top-4 as a shut down player on the blueline.


Observations

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October 2020 – Gross passed through the 2020 NHL Draft without a selection, making him a free agent.  Jokke Nevalainen

June 2020 – Gross didn’t get signed by the June first deadline. He re-enters the draft.  Jokke Nevalainen

April 2020 – In his final year of major junior competition, Nico Gross earned honors as the OHL Eastern Conferences second-best defensive defenseman. While that mouthful of an accolade for the 20-year-old may seem trivial, it’s actually somewhat meaningful considering the previously slumping trajectory of the fourth-round draft pick. The logjam of defensemen in the Rangers’ system, however, still may prevent Gross from earning a contract with the team this summer. In the case that he is not signed by the Rangers, Gross will become a UFA who could garner some attention from other teams around the league. If he finds himself a home on an NHL contract, there may still be hope for Gross as a long term project, otherwise, his odds of ever making the NHL will diminish significantly. Brayden Olafson

March 2019 – Gross’ offence continues to struggle in his draft+1 campaign with the Oshawa Generals. While his offensive ceiling was considered low at the time of his draft, the prolonged timeline that has led to a lack of growth at the junior level is concerning. The Ranger’s have yet to come to terms on a contract with the 19-year-old who will be eligible to return to the OHL for one final year next fall. Brayden Olafson

June 2018 – The Ranger’s remained dedicated to drafting from their list of highly ranked defenders into  the fifth round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, selected the Swiss lefty, Nico Gross from the OHL’s Oshawa Generals. Gross was the Swiss captain at the U18’s as well as an assistant captain at the 2018 World Junior Championship in Buffalo. His offensive ceiling is moderate-low, but like several other of the Ranger’s selections possess a respectable floor due to his strong hockey IQ. He has a lack of creativity in his game, but defends the defensive zone well with strong physical presence. Brayden Olafson

 

Attributes
Fantasy Upside 3.0
NHL Certainty 0.5
Country SUI
Position D
Roster Type Free Agent
Shoot/Glove Left
Date of Birth January 26, 2000
Height 6‘1”
Weight 185 lbs
Drafted 2018 Round 4; Overall: 101

Stats

 Season Team League GP G A TP PIM      Playoffs GP G A TP PIM 
 2012-2013 Grischun Sud - St. Moritz U15U15-Top4 1 34 4|        
 2013-2014 Grischun Sud - St. Moritz U15U15-Top19 37 2865 38|        
 2014-2015 Zug U15U15-Elit12 15 722 34|        
  Zug U17U17-Elit19 7 512 10|Playoffs12 1 12 12 
 2015-2016 Zug U17U17-Elit21 8 917 78|        
  Zug U20U20-Elit20 1 12 10|Playoffs7 0 00 33 
  Zug U20RBS Elite Jr. A1 0 00 0|        
  Switzerland U16 (all)International-Jr9 2 02 26|        
  Switzerland U18WJC-185 0 00 8|        
  Switzerland U18 (all)International-Jr12 1 01 12|        
 2016-2017 Zug U20U20-Elit7 0 44 16|Playoffs10 2 24 14 
  EVZ AcademySL33 0 99 44|        
  Switzerland U18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup4 1 01 4|        
  Switzerland U18WJC-185 0 11 14|        
  Switzerland U18 (all)International-Jr15 2 13 24|        
  Switzerland U20WJC-205 0 11 0|        
  Switzerland U20 (all)International-Jr10 1 12 6|        
 2017-2018 Oshawa GeneralsOHL58 4 1014 46|Playoffs5 0 00 15 
  Switzerland U18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup4 0 00 4|        
  Switzerland U18WJC-186 1 34 12|        
  Switzerland U18 (all)International-Jr15 1 67 22|        
  Switzerland U20WJC-205 0 00 2|        
  Switzerland U20 (all)International-Jr7 0 00 8|        
 2018-2019 Oshawa GeneralsOHL56 3 1720 81|Playoffs15 0 22 26 
  Switzerland U20WJC-207 0 22 8|        
  Switzerland U20 (all)International-Jr15 1 67 46|        
 2019-2020 Oshawa GeneralsOHL53 9 2433 62|        
  Switzerland U20WJC-203 1 01 2|        
  Switzerland U20 (all)International-Jr10 2 02 12|        
 2020-2021 ZugNL43 3 58 18|Playoffs9 0 00
  ZugSwiss Cup1 1 12 0|        
  EVZ AcademySL9 1 34 30|        
 2021-2022 ZugNL45 0 55 24|Playoffs15 0 11
  ZugChampions HL5 0 00 4|        
 2022-2023 ZugNL40 1 45 12|Playoffs9 1 01
  ZugChampions HL8 1 12 6|        
  Switzerland EHT0 0 00 0|        
 2023-2024 ZugNL43 2 46 32|Playoffs5 0 00
 2024-2025 DavosNL- - -- -|        

Highlights