Meet Stars prospect Conner Roulette, a student of the game primed for a breakout – The Athletic

Its the second-last day of the NHL prospect tournament in Traverse City and Jim Nill is standing outside the Stars dressing room.

When a reporter asks him what he and his scouting staff saw when they selected Conner Roulette in the fourth round of the 2021 NHL Draft, he tilts his head forward, as if peering over glasses that arent currently on his face, lifting his hand toward his face.

Hes got, Nill says, tapping on his temple, hes got in up here.Hes got great hockey sense and skill. Now, hes like 80 percent of the other kids where now its about what he can do off the ice in the gym to get stronger and quicker. If he can put in the time doing that, hes got a chance because hes got the brain.

That thing, his mind, is hard to identify and evaluate. But everyone who knows Roulette knows that he has it. And like Nill, they say the skys the limit if he can build the rest, specifically the thin frame that is plain to see when he steps out of the dressing room after Nill and his Stars workout shirt drapes over his slight shoulders.

One of the first things todays scouts, development coaches and general managers will tell you about todays players is that not enough of them actually watch hockey.

But if you ask Roulette to describe his game or identify his strengths and weaknesses, hell start by saying that hes a student of the game before he dives into any of the finer details.

Hell talk about his strengths, pointing to his poise with the puck, his ability to slow the game down, his hockey IQ, the way he reads plays and his touch inside the offensive zone.

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Meet Stars prospect Conner Roulette, a student of the game primed for a breakout - The Athletic