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Schism Between MN Wild and Marco Rossi is Not Getting Better
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- Schism Between MN Wild and Marco Rossi is Not Getting Better
Nick Wosika-Imagn Images
July 1, 2025 came and went without any major moves from the Minnesota Wild
. No Kirill Kaprizov
extension, no golden ticket free agent signing, no blockbuster trade. Even after months
years of shopping young centerman Marco Rossi
, he too remains on the roster… and unhappy
.
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.
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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 .
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Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
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