But on Friday evening, the move we’ve all been holding our breaths for finally happened, and it kind of came out of nowhere. Yes, Marco Rossi was sent out in the deal, along with a first round draft pick. Liam Ohgren is going to Vancouver, as well.

To the surprise of fans across MN Wild territory, however, prized rookie defenseman Zeev Buium was also part of the package sent across the USA border.

Minnesota Wild land another superstar in trade with Vancouver

But you can’t get talent unless you are willing to give it up. And coming to St. Paul, in return for the haul youngsters going to the Canucks is freshly-turned 26-year-old, 2x All-Star and Norris Trophy winning defenseman, Quinn Hughes, who leaves Vancouver as their points leader, with 23 (2 goals, 21 assists).

Breaking: Quinn Hughes is being traded to Minnesota

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) December 13, 2025

According to Michael Russo (The Athletic), Hughes will make his Minnesota Wild debut on Sunday against the Boston Bruins. This is hands-down the biggest move Guerin has mad as this organization’s head decision-maker, and one that will define his tenure.

What this Western Conference landscape-changing deal tells us is that the waiting in St. Paul is over. The time to win is now. Craig Leipold and Bill Guerin are tired of first round exits and they clearly believe Quinn Hughes is the guy who can make them a true Stanley Cup contender.

How should Wild fans feel about blockbuster deal?

While the truckload of talent going back to Vancouver is a bit overwhelming, on paper, it’s Minnesota who comes away as the clear winner of this blockbuster.

In hockey, much like the other professional sports we all follow, the winner of major trades like this one are usually the team receiving the best player. And tonight, there is no arguing who the best player exchanged in this move was.

Quinn Hughes time in Minnesota! #mnwild great to add the best defenseman in the NHL pic.twitter.com/OuNgYheNwn

— Alex Micheletti (@AlexMicheletti) December 13, 2025

The Wild’s defense, as a whole, was pretty talented prior to this trade. With Hughes slotted into the first pairing next to any of Brock Faber, Jared Spurgeon or Jonas Brodin, Minnesota’s blue line might be the best in hockey.

Throw in the Vancouver captain’s incredible ability to find scorers in scoring position… and it’s tantalizing to think about what Minnesota’s offensive attack could look like with Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov working alongside him.

Trade Winner: Minnesota Wild

There’s one caveat to the trade, of course. According to Russo, Hughes has not promised anything to the MN Wild, beyond the current term of his contract, which expires at the end of next season.

There has been no assurances given to the Wild that Hughes will extend next summer, per sources.

Obviously, Guerin knows him well

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) December 13, 2025

The #MNWild can't extend Quinn Hughes until July 1, but they've got a great tool in their back pocket to get it done:

They'll be the only team who can sign him for 8 years with a front-loaded structure including unlimited signing bonuses, before the CBA rules change Sept. 15.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) December 13, 2025

If Guerin cannot convince Quinn Hughes to stick around beyond 2026-27, this move could blow up in his face. Of course, Hughes is only a hair past 25, and demand for high-end blue line talent around the National Hockey League isn’t going away.

Should things not work out in this new arrangement, though, the Wild will have plenty of suitors interested in sending Guerin a similar talent-laden package, in order to become his third NHL team.

Related: MN Wild Recall Expensive Young Talent for Another NHL Opportunity

At just 26, Hughes already has 7+ seasons of NHL experience in his skates. In that time, he has played 459 games, averaging nearly a point per game, with 432 (61 goals, 371 assists).

Quinn’s goal-scoring production has been on the rise recently, too, potting 33 goals between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, more than he had in all of his first five seasons combined.

What makes this run even more impressive is that Minnesota has been doing it while missing multiple key players. As they work toward returning to full strength, there is finally progress on that front.

Marco Rossi ramping up for Minnesota Wild

Wild center Marco Rossi has been out since November 11 with a lower-body injury. Earlier in the season, center play was one of the team’s biggest issues, and getting him back should provide an additional boost. The Athletic’s Michael Russo provided an update the Austrian’s timeline.

Hynes confirmed my conjecture on Marco. Will start skating today and with a day between each game of the 4-game trip, if he feels good and progresses, the hope is he can join at some point https://t.co/PbYP5XKtws

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) December 1, 2025

Minnesota hammered out an extension for their former ninth-overall pick this offseason. After logging 82 games in each of the past two seasons, he was expected to take on a key role this year.

The franchise and its young star have had a rocky relationship in the past, but strong play tends to quiet everything. Although Rossi has posted a minus-6 through 17 games, he also has four goals and nine assists. Hynes should be able to insert him back into the lineup and expect that level of play to continue.

It doesn’t sound like Rossi will be immediately available for the road trip, but the fact that he’s traveling is an encouraging sign for his return.

MN Wild without Danila Yurov

Rookie Danila Yurov hasn’t missed significant time this season, but he will be unavailable to the Wild on Tuesday. He was injured on November 26 against the Chicago Blackhawks, yet remained available for each of the past two games.

Yurov won’t play tomorrow. Day to day with an injury (if you remember he had to leave bench in Chicago 3 games ago, so stems from that). He will travel with team. Middleton is maintenance.

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) December 1, 2025

Avoiding a lengthy absence would be a positive, and the fact that he played twice after the initial injury is certainly encouraging.

Through 21 games this season, Yurov has three goals and four assists. The 21-year-old Russian is getting his first NHL experience and has made an impact despite averaging just over 11.5 minutes of ice time.

Minnesota begins its road swing Tuesday in Edmonton, followed by stops in Calgary and Vancouver before wrapping up in Seattle against the Kraken.

Unfortunately, they will have to figure out how to turn things around without top six centerman, Marco Rossi, who was not on the ice in New York today for Minnesota’s morning skate. Taking his place on the second line was Ryan Hartman, who was centering Johansson and Tarasenko.

With Rossi out, the Wild will keep Kaprizov and Boldy together on the top line, centered by Eriksson Ek. Russian Rookie Danila Yurov will center the third line, between Foligno and Hinostroza, according to who Joe Smith (The Athletic) reported was on the ice together at Monday’s practice.

Minnesota Wild give update on Marco Rossi injury

After the skating session, MN Wild head coach John Hynes revealed to reporters that Marco suffered a lower-body injury blocking a shot in the 3rd period Saturday vs Philly. Thankfully, Hynes seems hopeful Rossi’s time out of the Wild lineup will be short-lived.

Marco Rossi's streak of 173 consecutive games, which led active #mnwild players, will end tonight. He'll be out vs. the Rangers with a lower-body injury, coach John Hynes said, from a shot block Saturday in Philadelphia. Zach Bogosian (lower body) also remains out.

— Sarah McLellan (@sarah__mclellan) October 20, 2025

No matter what you think about Marco Rossi (I’m talking to you, Bill Guerin), but the Minnesota Wild need him — and anyone else with a lick of offensive talent — to be fully available so they can pull themselves out of this early-season swoon they’ve become stuck in.

How bad is it? In their past three games, the Wild have scored a total of four goals. During the first two games of their East Coast swing, not only did Minnesota only score two total goals… but they fired just 30 total shots on net — 14 vs the Caps and 16 vs the Flyers.

Wild need Rossi… and any other offense they can find

In six games this season — fresh off signing an offseason extension that took years to iron out — Marco Rossi has collected five points (1 goal and 4 assists), helping to account for exactly one quarter of the MN Wild’s offensive production (20 goals). So making up his 18:07 TOI won’t be easy.

Marco Rossi forecheck pic.twitter.com/8HAOQyd0Xt

— Spoked Z (@SpokedZ) October 14, 2025

Let’s just pray that the MN Wild can pull out a gritty victory tonight in Madison Square Garden, and that Rossi returns to a lineup with a bit of momentum on Wednesday in New Jersey. Anything short of that would be worrisome.

Minnesota signed Stanley Cup-winning center Nico Sturm in a homecoming move because of his prowess in the faceoff circle. Unfortunately he’s already hurt and that is expected to linger for more than a month.

The Wild have struggled with faceoffs for a while now, and it could cost top superstars Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy.

Center play may cost Minnesota Wild their top line

Two games isn’t enough of a sample size to suggest that the wild have a problem at center. It has been evident going back to last year too though, and that’s specifically why Sturm was acquired. The Athletic’s Michael Russo and Joe Smith have highlighted a lack of draw power being something that could break up the top line.

Coach John Hynes acknowledged that the coaches are already discussing how to handle the situation, but it’s a good bet he’ll shuffle things up at Monday’s morning skate before playing the Kings.

But on the road, this could become an issue, so while Hynes probably doesn’t want to separate Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy after they combined for six points in two games, he may have to spread things around.
“That’s something that we talked a little bit about and felt that a little bit in the game tonight,” Hynes said. “Whether that’s splitting that (second) line up or trying some different combinations there, it’s something we’ll look at.”

The Athletic

The Minnesota Wild’s second line, featuring Marcus Foligno, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Vladimir Tarasenko, has no points. Despite Tarasenko shining during the preseason, he has been non-existent. Splitting up Kaprizov and Boldy could be a way to help the two different centers create.

“I couldn’t really get any rhythm going today,” said Ek, who won 7 of 21 (33 percent). “So look at it and see what I can do better, (like) just timing with the ref and all that stuff.”

Hynes said Ek and Rossi “have to be better,” but added that “faceoffs are a big part of the centermen, yes, but I also think there’s a lot of 50-50 pucks, too, in the faceoff circle that your wings and your D also have to help and touch the puck first.

The Athletic

Winning faceoffs controls the ice and puts an offense immediately in motion. Eriksson Ek and Marco Rossi have not been good enough there. They also may need more of a star power focus split between them in order to find success in space.

MN Wild stars making it look too easy

Through just two games, both Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy have six points with two goals. To say they have gotten out of the gate quickly would be putting it lightly, and that’s great news for Karpizov after signing his massive extension. It’s looked so easy, in fact, that they may have left some production on the table.

They’ve been so good, you still feel they’ve left some offense on the ice with their 17 combined shots.

Buium is enjoying the view from his spot on the No. 1 power play.

“It’s incredible,” Buium said. “I mean, I think you never are confused if they don’t pass to you. Like Bolds was holding it on that five-on-three, but you know he’s holding it for a reason, and you know he’s gonna do something. We don’t know exactly what, but you know something is gonna happen.

“So I think for me, it’s like, I trust those guys more than I trust myself. So trying to put them in good spots.”

The Athletic

If this is the level to which Boldy and Kaprizov are feeling it, you’d probably welcome them putting more pucks towards the net. It’s great that they are working in such tandem with one another, and that makes any idea of splitting them up that much more difficult.

KAPRIZOV 2-2 pic.twitter.com/Axsr8basqN

— Spoked Z (@SpokedZ) October 12, 2025

Ultimately general manager Bill Guerin may need to address his lack of depth and faceoff winning prowess outside of the organization. Sturm missing more than a month isn’t something you can just shy away from. Accepting less than the best you can get from your stars isn’t a strategy either.

Up until Friday, however, all had been quiet on the offseason front. Of course, the MN Wild have made some moves on the fringes, but outside of a flyer on the aging Vladimir Tarasenko, president of hockey operations Bill Guerin has opted for patience.

We’re still expecting a massive Kirill Kaprizov contract extension, at some point, but he isn’t in the country right now. So instead, the Wild turned to a 23-year-old Marco Rossi, who’s been disgruntled since being demoted to the 3rd line during the 2024-25 playoffs.

Marco Rossi staying with the Minnesota Wild

For much of his time in Minnesota, Marco Rossi has been on the trade block, even though Bill Guerin has always maintained publicly that he likes the 2020 No. 9 overall draft pick.

But at least for now, those trade rumors will die down. That’s because, after negotiations were jogged loose in the last week or two, Rossi and the Wild agreed to terms Friday on a three-year contract worth $5 million AAV ($15 million total).

Marco Rossi’s deal will carry a $5 million AAV. $4 million, $5 million, $6 million, so his QO heading into his unrestricted year will be $6 million

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) August 22, 2025

Related: MN Wild Players Invited to U.S. Olympic Orientation Camp

Last winter Rossi rejected a five-year, $25 million deal from the Wild. He was seeking a better average annual value, but that never came to fruition. In the end, the two sides were able to come together, but this was not an easy process… and it may not be fixed long-term.

For now, however, Rossi returns to the Wild as a top-6 center lock. Last season, he played in 82 games (for the second consecutive season) and scored 24 goals. The Austria had a career-high 60 points and finished plus-3. He could be anchoring a line with Matt Boldy and Vladimir Tarasenko flanking him.

Something about a Marco Rossi goal against the Red Wings just feels right pic.twitter.com/Bb7vzCNFXz

— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) February 26, 2025

This is a best-case scenario given the circumstances. Now the Wild need to turn their efforts towards Kaprizov and lock up the superstar for the long haul.

Kirill Kaprizov next for MN Wild

With Rossi’s contract done, general manager Bill Geurin must turn his full attention towards Kirill Kaprizov. He has been eligible to sign a deal since July 1, but we’re nearly two months past that.

Kaprizov is not currently in St. Paul, so that complicates things a bit. However, there’s no need to play around with a superstar when it comes to inking a deal. The Minnesota Wild have cap space to make him extremely rich, and they should do so for as long as logically possible.

Kirill Kaprizov ANSWERS pic.twitter.com/jRZWfBPoAy

— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) April 30, 2025

After suffering an injury last season, Kaprizov played in just 41 games. The 28-year-old scored 25 goals and finished with 56 points and a plus-19 while on the ice. Durability has not been his best quality, but Kaprizov is a franchise cornerstone and someone to build around if this organization ever thinks it’s going to lift Lord Stanley.

Related: MN Wild Teasing Massive Contract News on Local Sidewalks…?

Neither Rossi or Kaprizov represent new talent, but the Wild figuring things out with both would be a better way to end what has been otherwise an uninspiring summer.

So beyond his MN Wild duties, Guerin is in the process of selecting the 2026 Olympic Team, which will be built of NHL players for the first time since 2014. In the last 48 hours, in fact, Team USA announced the 44 players set to attend an upcoming orientation camp, including a couple of Americans off the MN Wild roster.

But Minnesota’s PoHO isn’t losing site of his day job obligations, either. In fact, it appears Bill Guerin has been making some headway on one of the most pressing items remaining on his MN Wild offseason to-do list.

Contract talks between MN Wild and Marco Rossi heating up

According to Michael Russo (The Athletic), the Wild have finally made a breakthrough in contract negotiations with center Marco Rossi, news that fans in Minnesota have been waiting to hear for over two years now.

Hearing there has been significant progress toward a potential Marco Rossi signing by the #mnwild in the coming days. As we've been reporting, a bridge deal makes the most sense.

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) August 21, 2025

The Minnesota Wild relegated the 23-year-old Rossi to the 3rd line during the 2024-25 NHL Playoffs, where he still managed 2 goals and an assist in 6 games (11:08 ATOI).

Sandwich that postseason demotion between lowball offers from Guerin during recent negotiations, and Rossi’s contract dispute with the Wild has become one of the ugliest in franchise history.

Related: MN Wild Teasing Massive Contract News on Local Sidewalks…?

But per Russo’s report, which came somewhat out of nowhere on Thursday, the Marco + Billy standoff may finally be reaching an end… at least for now. As Michael reiterates, this is likely to be a short-term bridge deal that will give Rossi and opportunity to increase his value as an NHL center.

If successful, it’s very plausible that the Minnesota Wild then bring Marco Rossi — who put up 60 points in 2024 (24 goals, 36 assists) — back to market to see if they can get any better offers than what they have received this offseason. That doesn’t mean Guerin hasn’t been shopping Rossi recently, though.

Minnesota Wild reengaged in Rossi trade talks too?

Thursday morning, prior to Russo’s report dropping, trusted NHL insider Jimmy Murphy (RG Media) released an article at RG.org that also reported movement in the Rossi + Wild standoff. According to Murphy, however, the shift was in Billy G’s negotiations with interested trade parties, specifically Vancouver and Seattle.

According to two different NHL sources, the Vancouver Canucks and the Seattle Kraken recently circled back with the Minnesota Wild to see where they stand in their contract talks with restricted free agent center Marco Rossi.

“Both were in on Rossi leading into and at the NHL Entry Draft, and until probably mid-July, and I’m hearing that they’ve made it clear that if it gets to the point in the next month, where contract talks between Rossi and the Wild reach a point of no return, they want to see what it would take to acquire Rossi,” one of the sources told RG.

Jimmy Murphy – RG.org

Marco Rossi is going into his fifth NHL season, but just his third as a full-timer. After playing in 21 games for the Wild between 2021-22 and 2022-23, the 5’9″ Austrian center has played back-to-back full 82-game seasons.

While his most talented teammates have struggled to remain in the lineup, Rossi has been available, allowing him to rack up 45 goals and 56 assists (101 points) in his first 185 NHL games.

Related: MN Wild Sign One-Time Shattuck St. Mary’s Rental to Pro Tryout

Unfortunately, nothing Marco’s done has won the love and affection of Bill Guerin, who’s been determined to rid the Minnesota Wild of their Rossi burden for most of the past three years.

Don’t assume that means the Wild’s president of hockey operations is willing to give his second line center away for below market value, though. The fact that Rossi remains on Minnesota’s roster is proof of that.

This was supposed to be the offseason of fireworks. With the Parise/Suter cap penalties mostly off the books, the Wild are now loaded with $10 million in salary cap space. Yet, as of July 8, Minnesota’s offseason fireworks remain unlit, in the box and all $10+ million of their cap space in Craig Leipold’s bank account.

The Minnesota Wild are still confident that they’ll spend a significant chunk of that money on a Kirill Kaprizov extension, at some point this summer. Of course, the same cannot be said on a new contract for Marco Rossi, who’s never really been a huge part of Bill Guerin’s future plans.

Now, the 23-year-old is a restricted free agent and 31 other NHL teams are able to make him an offer. If that happens the Wild either have to match the competing offer sheet or agree to swap Rossi for draft pick compensation that would dictated by how big his new contract is.

Is Bill Guerin serious about matching offer sheets for Marco Rossi?

Recently, Guerin has threatened to match any and all offer sheets for Rossi. But we all know that’s not true, just based on the hardball tactics he’s used during contract negotiations.

In a mailbag article at The Athletic on Tuesday, Michael Russo reported that Guerin’s most recent offer to Rossi was a measly two-year bridge deal worth less than $5 million per year. He then went on to doubt whether or not Billy would go over the top to match a Rossi offer sheet for a ton more than that.

Rossi would 100 percent take [a high-AAV deal like Martin Necas’ $6.5M/YR], but the Wild have offered a two-year deal at below $5 million. And Rossi doesn’t really want to get traded, so he doesn’t want to do them any favors by accepting an easily-movable AAV.

Guerin’s announcement [that he’d match a Rossi offer sheet] was designed to just scare off suitors. In the next breath, he said they have a pay structure they have Rossi falling in line at. If somebody called his bluff and offered Rossi $7 million-plus, I’m still not confident that the Wild match.

Michael Russo – The Athletic

Related: Minnesota Wild Offseason Gets Lukewarm Grade

The MN Wild drafted Marco Rossi with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. By the 2023 season, the 5’9″ Austrian was ready for a full-time role in the league. Rossi played in all 82 games his rookie year, averaging 16:44 TOI, he finished the 2023-24 season with 40 points (21 goals), which landed him on the NHL All-Rookie Team.

Last season, the Wild were forced to rely more heavily on Rossi; not necessarily because they wanted to, but because injuries forced their hand. With his time on ice expanded to an average of 18:15 minutes per game, Marco’s production jumped to 60 points (24 goals).

Kirill Kaprizov finds Marco Rossi for a power play goal, Wild strike first!#mnwild pic.twitter.com/arpAq7Xsxh

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) December 7, 2024

Minnesota Wild have misplayed their Rossi trade hand

Yet, when playoffs came around, Marco Rossi was designated to 3rd line duties, something that did not sit well with the youngster or his representation.

To this day, a wide schism remains between Rossi and the Wild, who haven’t sat together at the negotiating table for some time. Per Russo, Guerin’s treatment of Marco Rossi has hurt the Minnesota Wild’s leverage in trade talks, too.

I don’t think the Wild helped their own cause by portraying to the league they didn’t feel [Rossi] could function in the meat of a Stanley Cup playoff run. I guarantee you that was a red flag to a league that watched a guy like Bennett win the Conn Smythe Trophy as Florida’s 2C.

If [Rossi] doesn’t sign an offer sheet to force the Wild’s hand, I think this could be a long one right up until training camp or even beyond. The schism just remains wide and the two sides haven’t been actively negotiating.

Michael Russo – The Athletic

Related: Why Did MN Wild Trade for Vladimir Tarasenko and What Should Fans Expect?

We will see how the Marco Rossi trade talk era finishes out. But let’s be real. As of today, you can’t help but believe that Bill Guerin has misplayed his hand from the very beginning. Had he portrayed more of an appreciation for a top young forward in this league, he’d be much more likely to get that kind of return for him on the trade market.

Instead, his constant shopping of Marco Rossi, combined with his 3rd line demotion in the 2024-25 NHL Playoffs, has made him worth much less than what he should be. And Guerin isn’t willing to accept less than his real value. Thus, this schism remains until further notice.

Unfortunately, the early part of the 2025 offseason has not gone as planned. Guerin was hoping that Minnesota native Brock Nelson would choose to come home and play for the Wild. He instead re-signed in Colorado, after the Avalanche made a deal for him at the trade deadline a few months ago.

Suddenly, the top-six centerman Guerin was determined to find this offseason is becoming quite elusive. But one thing remains clear, the Minnesota Wild have little interest in turning back to their 23-year-old former first round center, who’s coming off of his first 60-point season in the NHL.

According to Michael Russo (The Athletic) Guerin and Rossi’s agency have stepped away from the negotiating table, even though the NHL Draft is now just a week out. If you’re wondering why the lack of urgency, look no further than the last time the two sides got together.

Minnesota Wild lowballing Marco Rossi on purpose…?

That’s when, per Russo, the Minnesota low-balled Marco Rossi with a short-term (2 years) contract offer worth less than $5 million AAV. This, after talks earlier this season sprouted a long-term offer (5 years) from the Wild that would have been worth a total of $25 million, more in AAV than the more recent short-term offer.

There could be an incentive to [trade Rossi] before July 1 because that’s when the pending restricted free agent would be eligible to sign an offer sheet elsewhere.

As of now, the Wild and Rossi have taken a break on negotiations. Earlier this season, the team offered Rossi a five-year, $25 million extension, which he rejected. His camp countered with a short-term deal with a high average annual value, which the Wild didn’t accept. Minnesota recently offered a two-year deal with an AAV less than $5 million, and Rossi didn’t accept that.

Michael Russo – The Athletic

In his perfect world, the Minnesota Wild would offer Marco Rossi — who scored 24 goals and assisted on 36 more last season — the same type of deal they did Matt Boldy ($7 million AAV). Of course, we know that isn’t happening as long he is negotiating with Bill Guerin.

No doubt, however, Rossi’s ask would be more than reasonable on the open-market. Which brings us back to these unserious contract negotiations. The MN Wild knew when they offered Marco Rossi a lower AAV on a short-term deal, than they did months earlier on a long-term contract, that he would reject it.

Obviously, Guerin was trying to send some sort of message through his negotiating tactics. Will they payoff? We may not know the answer to that question until years down the road. But if the Minnesota Wild want to move Marco Rossi before the 2025 NHL Draft, then it’d be in their own best interest to do it sooner than later.

Marco Rossi was hoping for Matt Boldy money

Because unless something changes drastically in Bill Guerin’s thinking, it sure doesn’t seem like a Rossi contract extension is coming before that July 1 soft deadline. The way Russo writes, it sounds like the magic number on a short-term deal would be $6 million, a number that Guerin has no interest in offering… at least for now.

[Rossi] had been looking for a long-term deal in the Matt Boldy range ($7 million) — an area the Wild have so far shown no appetite to go near. So unless the Wild change course and offer him a two- or three-year deal with a significantly higher AAV ($6 million?), the sides will remain in a stalemate.

Michael Russo – The Athletic

Related: Report: MN Wild Targeting Three Centers, Need One

Bill Guerin may not think all that highly of Marco Rossi, but that doesn’t mean he’s willing to let him go on the cheap. In Russo’s report, the longtime MN Wild insider notes that the president of hockey operations is determined to get a direct replacement for Rossi’s production, in any trade.

So far, all of the offers he has gotten have been draft picks. In fact, it sounds like the Vancouver Canucks have put their No. 15 overall pick on the table, an offer that Guerin has thus far rejected. If he is going to deal Marco for a draft pick, he needs a decent player to come back, as well.

Minnesota Wild determined to get good value in Rossi deal

Given the vibes that Guerin & Co. have been putting out on their former 2020 No. 9 overall pick, I’m not sure how he gets on the phone and asks that much from other NHL decision-makers with a straight face. Nonetheless, that’s exactly what he is doing. And from the sounds of it… he’s been on the phone A LOT.

…as far as we know, Guerin has so far been offered mostly futures for Rossi. While Guerin would likely take a player and a first-rounder and perhaps flip the first-rounder elsewhere, he definitely doesn’t want just a first-rounder.

That’s the offer (the No. 15 pick) that the Vancouver Canucks likely made for Rossi.

So we’ll see where this goes this week, but the one thing, that’s certain from talking to sources around the league, is Guerin has been on the phone a lot and seems very motivated to make trades.

Michael Russo – The Athletic

While the Stanley Cup Finals aren’t even over yet, the summer isn’t as young as you’d think. The NHL Draft is scheduled for two weeks from yesterday, June 27, and free agency begins early next week, July 1.

In a perfect world, the Wild would have their centerman swap complete by the start of the draft, but for sure by July 1, when Rossi will be able to sign offer sheets from other teams that Minnesota would be forced to match, or lose their 23-year-old former No. 9 overall pick.

Minnesota Wild running out of center options…

Unfortunately for the Minnesota Wild, their search hasn’t gone as planned. Their No. 1 target, as reported by Michael Russo and Joe Smith (The Athletic) was “one of us” center, Brock Nelson, but then he signed with the Colorado Avalanche.

In that same article, it was reported that other veterans the Wild are chasing probably won’t happen either. Sam Bennett is going to cost too much and plans to return to Florida. Claude Giroux plays mostly wing and wants to remain a Senator. Could that mean Marco Rossi could return, after all?

Maybe, but in a new note written at The Athletic on Saturday, there are still three others centers who president of hockey operations Bill Guerin still has his eyes on.

According to the aforementioned, Joe Smith (The Athletic), Guerin doesn’t just want to land one of John Tavares, Jonathan Toews or Matt Duchene… the Wild “need to get [one].” Their top choice, at least for now, appears to be Tavares.

The Wild’s main need is up the middle, and now they’re on Plan B after target Nelson re-signed with the Avalanche. Tavares’ priority has been to stay in Toronto, but if he gets to market, he’d give Minnesota the experienced, two-way center who could take some pressure off Joel Eriksson Ek. The Wild need to get Tavares, Duchene or Jonathan Toews to address the position, especially after missing out on Nelson.

Joe Smith – The Athletic

Minnesota Wild Target No. 1: John Tavares

John Tavares, 34, would immediately give the Minnesota Wild what they are looking for, at the center position. That is, if he isn’t slapped by father time, which wasn’t the case last season, when he potted 38 goals for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the most he’s scored since 2018-19, when he put 47 pucks in the net.

In 75 games last year, Tavares posted 74 total points on 18:14 average TOI. His goals and points would have led the Wild, who were led by Matt Boldy’s 27 goals and 73 points.

If Billy can pry him from Toronto and keep himself from offering the world for an aging star… this move would be a huge win in Minnesota. Imagine this dude next to Kirill Kaprizov or Matt Boldy…

YOU'RE KIDDING, JOHN TAVARES!! 🤯

What a pass. pic.twitter.com/duHXphrwU9

— NHL (@NHL) December 28, 2024

Wild Target No. 2: Matt Duchene

Dallas Stars center, Matt Duchene (also 34 y/o), would seemingly fit the bill too, though Smith and Russo noted in their joint article earlier this week that the Minnesota Wild don’t appear to be crazy about him.

Related: Minnesota Wild Getting Cold Feet on Marco Rossi Trade?

Duchene played all 82 games last season, scoring 30 goals and assisting on 52 more (+13). His 82 points placed the Haliburton, Ontario native tied for 20th in the league. In his 16 year NHL career, Matt Duchene has played for five different teams.

Matt Duchene from a ridiculous angle! 📐

He just loves scoring in Colorado 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/gkd7xz5AHk

— NHL (@NHL) January 18, 2025

MN Wild Target No. 3: Jonathan Toews

Meanwhile, Minnesota Wild fans know exactly who Jonathan Toews is, after they watched his star-studded Blackhawks teams of yesteryear cleanup on our favorite NHL club.

Fast forward a few years, and we haven’t seen Toews play since 2022-23, after he stepped away from hockey to recover from Chronic Immune Response Syndrome (CIRS). But in 2025-26 the now 37-year-old Toews is planning a comeback.

His last couple seasons in Chicago, the former superstar was a shell of himself, posting 68 total points in 124 games between 2021-2023, along with a -45 point differential while on the ice. I have to imagine this is Bill Guerin’s emergency option, though The Athletic says there are multiple teams trying to sign him.

But coming off of a postseason in which Rossi averaged just over 11 minutes of TOI per game, and with his restricted free agency looming on July 1, it appeared both sides were much more motivated to find a trade partner for Marco this time around, as everyone seemed ready to move on from this fractured relationship.

In fact, by the way top Wild insider Michael Russo (The Athletic) has painted it, a Marco Rossi trade has been a matter of when, not if. That was, however, until the 2025 NHL offseason dominos actually started falling.

Minnesota Wild already running out of center targets this offseason

According to a new report out of The Athletic, Bill Guerin came into June with veteran Minnesotan, Brock Nelson, as the Minnesota Wild’s plan A target. But then, he signed with Colorado, foiling the triumphant hometown return Billy had been hoping for.

From there, plan B, C and D fell through, as well. And now, a Wild team that has struck out in their swings for center help are pretty much out of high-end options. Meanwhile, that young, 60-point centerman they’ve been trying to kick out the door… still remains on roster, waiting for what’s next.

The problem is, the options for upgrading may not be there for the taking. And that could change the calculus for how they handle Marco Rossi. Brock Nelson re-signing with the Colorado Avalanche and a dwindling market of sellers puts the Wild in a tough spot when it comes to both dealing Rossi and upgrading at the center position.

Nelson was believed to be Minnesota’s top target…John Tavares would much rather stay in Toronto if it can work out. Jonathan Toews, 37 and trying to mount a career comeback, is considering three to four teams…Matt Duchene said he loved playing for John Hynes in Nashville, but he wants to return to Dallas and we’re not sure Duchene is someone the Wild have interest in.

Joe Smith and Michael Russo – The Athletic

Russo and his colleague at The Athletic, Joe Smith, go on to write about why other rumored options for the Wild — like Sam Bennett (Panthers), Claude Giroux (Senators) and Jeff Skinner (Oilers) probably aren’t the answer in Minnesota, either.

Bill Guerin getting cold feet on trading away Marco Rossi?

And that leaves Marco Rossi, who it appears Guerin and the Minnesota Wild may be backtracking on their stubborn determination to trade their young Austrian and former 1st round draft pick.

With the free agency cupboards looking bare up the middle, trading away Rossi for anything other than a top 6 center could end up making the Minnesota Wild worse, something Billy has publicly said he is sensitive to.

…since trading Rossi would lead to a removal of at least a 20-goal, 60-point scorer, Guerin’s words probably mean he wants a solid player back for Rossi, not futures.

And there’s the potential problem. League-wide, there are a lot of teams that seem to want to add this offseason but not subtract. And with the cap rising, several teams have the ability to do just that — which may put the Wild in a pickle.

Joe Smith and Michael Russo – The Athletic

Related: Bill Guerin Wants Some “F*** You” in Marco Rossi’s Game

For whatever reason, Marco Rossi has never fully managed to work his way out of Billy’s doghouse, even after he put up 24 goals and 36 assists in the 2024-25 regular season. His 60 points were good for second-most on the team, behind only Matt Boldy.

MARCO ROSSI TIES IT WITH 43 SECONDS TO PLAY AND AN EMPTY NET 🫨 pic.twitter.com/5AG7mYLac4

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 11, 2024

The Minnesota Wild’s impatience and apparent disdain for Marco Rossi has never really made sense, either. At first, we thought he might be soft or difficult to coach. Even early on, however, those questions were not backed up by any evidence.

Then, Rossi doubled down on his commitment to the Wild by making the Twin Cities his summer home, choosing training and development under Geurin’s supervision, over traveling home AND playing for the Austrian national team. Still, it never really mattered.

Marco Rossi could stay with Minnesota Wild after all…

But now, we are getting into RFA crunch time negotiations and it appears a deal for Marco Rossi nowhere in sight. According to this latest report, that if something doesn’t land in the Minnesota Wild’s lap here in the next couple weeks, a Rossi extension could very well be back on the table.

If Guerin doesn’t get what he wants for Rossi, would he ever circle back and offer Rossi a two- or three-year deal at a high AAV north of $5.5 million or $6 million, similar to what the Carolina Hurricanes did with Martin Necas last summer?

No doubt Guerin is kicking tires and is motivated to make trades sooner rather than later. But some teams may not get serious until closer to the draft later this month. And the Wild would probably want a resolution before July 1, when Rossi is eligible to sign an offer sheet elsewhere.

Joe Smith and Michael Russo – The Athletic

I wouldn’t hate a Marco Rossi return, especially given the chip you’d expect to be on his shoulder. But it would be so Minnesota Wild for these trade negotiations to fall through and for Guerin to be forced into bringing him back.

Could Rossi be the new Matt Dumba, who entering every offseason for a half-decade, we were all convinced would be traded… just to see him back at training camp the next fall. Apparently, we could very well be heading in that direction.