Grading Vinzenz Rohrer’s season with the Zürich Lions
Vinzenz Rohrer signing a contract with the Montreal Canadiens on June 14, 2025 put Zürich in an unusual situation. One of Europe’s best teams didn’t know if they were going to keep one of their best players from the 2024-25 season in 2025-26. The team was on lockdown, and didn’t really know what to expect.
At Montreal’s rookie and main training camps Rohrer didn’t do much to stand out, and as expected he went back to Switzerland on September 29, just before Zürich’s 10th game. The team was set after receiving an influx of players, which meant that Rohrer wasn’t deployed in the same fashion as the previous year.
This might not have been a bad thing, but it left Rohrer out of the spotlight of Canadiens fans, especially with a Russian player debuting strong in the KHL. However, it seems that Montreal had given him, and Zürich, a set of things to work on in the National League. He got next to no power-play time, but he got faster, while holding onto the puck less; it was more of a dump-and-chase, with an active forecheck that was different from last year. He got a lot of usage on the penalty kill, something former opposing coach Dan Tangnes gave him a lot of credit for. “I actively coached against Zürich to not have Rohrer out on the penalty kill.”
On top of the new style of play, the normal Rohrer things were all there. He was hitting — and getting hit — at full speed, never staying down, working hard in the tough areas along the boards and in front of the net. All this makes sense as this is the kind of role he will get on an NHL team down the line, but again something that doesn’t hit the highlight package.
Data visualization provided by NLIceData. All numbers indicate percentile rank. Shots and xG are marginally up from last year, and the assists are marginally down when it comes to five-on-five play.
With the injuries that hit Zürich in the playoffs, to Thierry Bader and Sven Andrighetto, Rohrer stood out for his strong play.
Strengths
Everyone knows his relentless forecheck, intensity, and passion. What should stand out though is that he is one of the most intelligent players around, not only on the ice but also off it. He always challenges himself in different ways. This is what makes him good on the penalty kill and useful on a forecheck as he rarely overextends or gets caught on the wrong side of the puck. Both Marc Crawford (former the coach of Zürich) and Roger Bader (who leads the Austrian National Team) has mentioned to Eyes On The Prize in different wordings that you only have to explain a thing to him once, then he knows it. He might have a follow-up question, but that’s about it.
On top of this are his leadership qualities. Behind the scenes, he leads by example and from within the team, something that should be evident as he will arrive to Laval sooner rather than later.
Weaknesses
Although Rohrer has adjusted to the physical demands of professional hockey and added more muscle to his frame, it is his size that remains his primary limitation. At 5’10”, he must outperform competitors who may have a height advantage to secure a spot on the roster. While height is not something he can change, Montreal currently has several similar players in their system who are further along than the one currently in Zürich. The good thing is that he has experience from North America and already knows about the physicality difference.
Grade: B-
His previous two grades have been A’s, but even with the usage and adapting into a more useful role in the NHL there isn’t a possibility to grade Rohrer any higher this year. To be honest, I was thinking a C before having some conversations with people that have seen him more than me this season. The fact is that he has worked on getting better for North America in order to make the transition into the Canadiens’ system smoother. Taking a role with the team to improve his chances down the line should give him some benefits in the grade.
The usage from last year has changed completely and one can’t expect the same output with a drop in offensive usage.
Conclusion
Rohrer should come over to Laval more or less directly now that the National League season has finished; that was the reason that Montreal signed him at the last moment before the deadline. The question will be what role he will get with the Rocket.
I don’t see Rohrer making the big team next year out of camp, but if he does it will be due to the fact that he took a year in the National League to work on what would help him. That is something a highly intelligent player does, and Rohrer should get NHL opportunities during his career. He is that smart, and that good.
