Failed Negotiation: Marco Rossi Contract Talks with MN Wild Stall Out

It’s expected to be a very busy offseason for the Minnesota Wild. With the Parise/Suter buyout penalties mostly off the books, president of hockey operations Bill Guerin has money in his salary cap pocket for the first time since he took over as Wild head decision-maker.

We’ve been waiting years for this moment and now that it is finally here. Thus, the future of this organization is on the line and there is no room for mistakes. This increase in spending power brings with it a massive increase in pressure on Guerin not to screw this up.

Make the right moves — which will include a lengthy Kirill Kaprizov extension — and the Minnesota Wild could be a perennial contenders in the West for the next decade. Make the wrong moves, however, and the prime of Kaprizov’s career will go to waste.

After the Colorado Avalanche won the Brock Nelson sweepstakes on Wednesday, it’s anyone’s best guess as to what the current details of Guerin’s offseason plans really are. One thing we do know, though, is that 23-year-old center Marco Rossi is not in them.

Minnesota Wild + Marco Rossi extension talks have soured

Instead, following a failed last ditch (half-assed) effort to negotiate a short-term deal with Rossi over the last week, a trade appears imminent. According to The Athletic’s Joe Smith and Michael Russo, Minnesota is refusing to put anything long-term back on the table.

For Marco Rossi and his representation, a short-term bridge deal is a non-starter, after the Austrian was relegated to the 4th line during the Wild’s first round playoff series against the Vegas Golden Knights, where he averaged only 11 minutes of TOI.

There was another call between the sides on Tuesday, per league sources, and Rossi’s agent, Ian Pulver, reiterated that a bridge deal no longer makes sense for Rossi after he was buried on the fourth line in the playoffs.

Since the Wild don’t seem to have an appetite to invest in a long-term deal for Rossi at an AAV around Matt Boldy’s $7 million, it sure feels like his time in Minnesota could be coming to an end over the next few weeks.

Michael Russo and Joe Smith – The Athletic

Marco Rossi has been on and off the trade block since the moment the Austrian and former OHL star arrived in the USA, prior to the 2021-22 AHL season. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the offers for Rossi have never been good enough for Guerin to pull the trigger.

So instead, Marco focused his energy into getting better and working to earn the love and respect of his president of hockey operations. He skipped out on the Austrian national team, in favor of summer workouts in St. Paul with the Wild.

Related: Minnesota Wild Bringing Top Prospect to NHL

He got bigger, added more “f*** you” to his game, and worked his way into a top 6 center that finished 2nd on the team in points (60) and assists (36) last season, 3rd in goals (24). Still, it wasn’t enough to earn Guerin and head coach John Hynes’ trust for the postseason.

Rossi said he had an “honest” and “man-like” exit meeting with coach John Hynes. So it’s not just his contract, but what his role might be, which is “the subject of great debate,” as [Rossi’s agent] told The Athletic.

“I can’t imagine Marco Rossi would not have value and really good value around the NHL,” former NHL GM Craig Button told The Athletic recently. “There are teams screaming, screaming for that type of player.”

The Athletic

So now, here we are. The Minnesota Wild are in need of a top 6 center, as they try desperately to trade the 23-year-old top 6 center they drafted No 9 overall just five years ago. In his four seasons in a Wild sweater, Rossi totalled 45 goals and 56 assists (101 points) in 184 games played.

Lots of teams make sense for Rossi trade

Russo and Smith’s article goes on to name SEVEN teams that make a ton of sense for Marco Rossi, along with seven more “Honorable Mentions”. Unsurprisingly, there are a lot of other NHL teams looking for top 6 center help.

The Athletic called on the beat writers for the “best fit” teams, where it seems like the Canucks, Flames and Mammoth stand out as possible trade partners that Guerin and Minnesota’s front office are targeting most seriously.

Canucks beat writer Thomas Drance: The Canucks’ most urgent need this summer, explicitly, is a “top-two-lines center.” …Honestly, the opportunity to add a 23-year-old pivot who led all Wild centers in five-on-five ice time during the regular season and produced 60 points seems almost too good to be true from a Canucks perspective.

Former Flames beat writer Julian McKenzie: This is already on top of their need for talent, particularly from young players between the ages of 18 and 23. Rossi checks off those boxes. Calgary would also love his versatility at center and wing...The Flames have prospects and draft picks they can offer in return. If the Wild covet a roster player more, a pick or prospect can work as a sweetener.

Joe Smith (Wild beat writer): There are rumblings Utah is dangling the No. 4 pick in this month’s draft for top-six help, and while there’s no indication that means Rossi, we know how much Mammoth coach Andre Tourigny loves the Wild center...Tourigny, who coached Rossi in junior with the Ottawa 67’s, is a “huge believer” and the “biggest fan” of Rossi, comparing his “first quality” IQ to the likes of Ryan O’Reilly.

The Athletic

The only question now, barring some sort of change of heart on the side of Rossi or the Minnesota Wild, is where the kid will end up and how much Guerin will be able to get for him. No doubt, a top 10 draft pick — which both the Flames and Mammoth have — would make the fanbase happy.

Related: Minnesota Wild Re-Up Veteran Forward with Full You-Know-What Clause

But would that make the 2025-26 Wild better? Probably not. Does that mean Minnesota needs to get another top 6 forward in return for Rossi? It seems like that’s what Guerin would prefer… but that is easier said than done.