Article: A Productive Marco Rossi Could Revolutionize Minnesota's Lineup

[Imyourhuckleberry]

18 minutes ago, TheGoosesAreLooses said:

Just because Gaudreau had shootout goals does not mean he is a goal scorer. Foligno had one year above 20 goals and regressed to his average last year. Arguing against 7+ years of trend is daft. 

You must be daft because these guys don't have 7 years of trend like you think. Gaudreau was 5th on the team in goals just last year, and prior to last season, Foligno scored on over 20% of his totals shots(on goal) from the prior 3 seasons.

Foligno's shooting percentage was over 23% in both the 2020-2021 and the 2021-2022 seasons. Nobody on the Wild came close to those shooting percentages last season. You're saying that these guys that haven't shown a propensity to score when they aren't playing with a playmaker shouldn't have a chance because they haven't scored over 20 goals every year without playing with a  playmaker?

Foligno only scored over 20 goals 1 season, but are you aware that 11 goals in 39 games played, like 2020-2021 is over a 20 goal pace, so he was on pace to do it 2 consecutive seasons?

Rossi literally has 1 point in 21 NHL games, and was -7 in plus/minus for 19 games last season. He averages zero NHL goals per season, and projects to roughly 4 points if you string that out to an 82 game season--based upon trend.

While I know he will do better, and that he's very good for an AHL player, it doesn't seem like he's 1st line material just yet. Sam Steel certainly didn't excel when they put him on the 1st line. Hartman has produced there when healthy.

[MrCheatachu]

5 hours ago, Will D. Ness said:

Couple things that come into play here.  Rossi is the highest draft pick in 10 years and the pick was done by current FO dudes.  They have skin in this game that might influence them to give Rossi leeway.

 

I don't know if Deano and company share that opinion.

Remember the Habs game last season when a 120 lb (soaking wet) Rossi finished a check on the giant of a man Slafkovsky and he went down like a sack of bricks?  Wild got a garbage time PP and what did Deano do?

He threw Rossi back on the ice with the Habs bench looking to murder him (iirc the toughest guy on the ice for MIN was Merrill).  Rossi literally had to run away from Arber Xhekaj, Joel Armia and Johnathan Kovacevic as the Habs bench wanted blood for taking out their #1 pick.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWU3kvm5Rp0

I think Rossi was sent down soon after that game, but I'm pretty sure the coaching staff was sending a pretty clear message by putting Rossi back on the ice in garbage time...

[Will D. Ness]

On 7/28/2023 at 2:40 PM, MrCheatachu said:

I don't know if Deano and company share that opinion.

Remember the Habs game last season when a 120 lb (soaking wet) Rossi finished a check on the giant of a man Slafkovsky and he went down like a sack of bricks?  Wild got a garbage time PP and what did Deano do?

He threw Rossi back on the ice with the Habs bench looking to murder him (iirc the toughest guy on the ice for MIN was Merrill).  Rossi literally had to run away from Arber Xhekaj, Joel Armia and Johnathan Kovacevic as the Habs bench wanted blood for taking out their #1 pick.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWU3kvm5Rp0

I think Rossi was sent down soon after that game, but I'm pretty sure the coaching staff was sending a pretty clear message by putting Rossi back on the ice in garbage time...

Hehe...yeah I wish that link had the hit.  Maybe they want Rossi to get beat up as some form of absolution.  

Actually, I'm sure Deano couldn't care less about him being the highest draft pick in a decade.

[Will D. Ness]

On 7/28/2023 at 7:12 AM, Killer Coastie said:

I like Foligno and Maroon split up. That way there is more chances of an enforcer on the ice to keep the peace and make people pay for making runs. Putting all of your eggs in one basket makes the other lines weaker and smaller.

I can see what you are saying here but I like the idea of a very heavy grind of a line, just a no mercy XXL double wing type of line that intimidates little defenseman.

[Dango]

If the Islanders dont make the playoffs next season  which is possible if the Sabres jump over them which is very possible and who knows how far Boston falls ,  I wouldnt mind trying to get Brock Nelson using the money freed up after next season .  Another big body center for 1 or 2 C . We wouldnt have to wait 2 more years   or even maybe the Russian from Washington Evgeny Kuznetzov .

[Up North Guy]

19 hours ago, Dango said:

If the Islanders dont make the playoffs next season  which is possible if the Sabres jump over them which is very possible and who knows how far Boston falls ,  I wouldnt mind trying to get Brock Nelson using the money freed up after next season .  Another big body center for 1 or 2 C . We wouldnt have to wait 2 more years   or even maybe the Russian from Washington Evgeny Kuznetzov .

Nelson would be a solid get on a shortish contract. He is not young anymore and that is always a concern. He is "one of us" but Winnipeg is vastly closer to home (Warroad) than St Paul.

[Imyourhuckleberry]

On 7/29/2023 at 6:19 PM, Will D. Ness said:

I can see what you are saying here but I like the idea of a very heavy grind of a line, just a no mercy XXL double wing type of line that intimidates little defenseman.

I hear what you're saying, but Duhaime is 6'2", 200+ pounds, and delivers hits at roughly the same frequency as Foligno, so if they team him with Maroon, that line could still be plenty intimidating.

I'm favoring Foligno with Rossi to make sure that Rossi's line isn't easy to play against from a physicality standpoint--Rossi was the least likely to hit someone among Wild forwards last year prior to the trade deadline. After the deadline, that title was claimed by Johansson.