Article: Why Are the Wild Thinking About Moving Marco Rossi?

[Kalisha Turnipseed]

View full article

[Protec]

"Rossi is tied for first on the team in goals with 17 with Kaprizov."

I think this is a typo here. 

I think Rossi is a good player. He's proven he can be an NHL player. Is he a long term fit for the Wild? It's a good problem to have but if you've got good young assets, can you keep them all? Do they deliver all the team's needs? 

I would argue that a good young asset is the thing you need to get an upgrade elsewhere. Does Heidt have more height and sandpaper? Does Yurov have more size and speed? Do the Wild have money for everyone and are they selecting the right guys to shop or trade at the right time? More ammo to rag on GMBG at the very least...

 

[Citizen Strife]

I don't buy any of this.  Unless they have some knockout offers for a high end defenseman or super high pick, I don't see any reason to give up on a 20-25 goal scoring rookie.  

Russo may know more than he let's on, but this was mostly puff pieces and arguments on Twitter.  Maybe part of taking Rossi is a ploy to offer a bad contract for the other team to take back, but still...

[TheGoosesAreLooses]

What a bad look. Loosing patience with a 22yr old, while he had a 40pt season, because he isn't a PP specialist? He is one of our best at 5V5 by the stats and is playing on the second PP. Give your head a shake.

How about we take a look see at how Gaudreau and Nojo are doing at 5V5 and wonder why the hell they get passes while we consider trading one of the few bright spots on this season. 

Going to look really bad to the rest of the prospects if Guerin considers Rossi's season not good enough. Meanwhile Gaudreau can crater any offense from his line continually all year and not even get the Prosser Box treatment. 

[Protec]

2 minutes ago, TheGoosesAreLooses said:

What a bad look. Loosing patience with a 22yr old, while he had a 40pt season, because he isn't a PP specialist? He is one of our best at 5V5 by the stats and is playing on the second PP. Give your head a shake.

How about we take a look see at how Gaudreau and Nojo are doing at 5V5 and wonder why the hell they get passes while we consider trading one of the few bright spots on this season. 

Going to look really bad to the rest of the prospects if Guerin considers Rossi's season not good enough. Meanwhile Gaudreau can crater any offense from his line continually all year and not even get the Prosser Box treatment. 

I don't think it's about saying 40 points isn't good enough. The proof is there, Rossi is an NHL value and young with perhaps a much higher ceiling. Therefore a player that could help you get an important need. Nothing wrong with that except for anyone attached to Rossi, hoping for a long-term thing. Looking at all the similar young guys with potential, it's a fair question. Is Rossi in the long-term plan? Should he be? Why? More that the alternatives?

[Citizen Strife]

The issue with that is Rossi is giving you center and scoring depth that you won't have if you give that up.  The option to move him to wing if Yurov or Khusnutdinov (or vice versa) should trump anything other than a more drastic need (a running buddy for Faber, a guy with more size, or both).  I haven't seen Khusnutdinov score the way Rossi does, so I don't want to just plug him into Line 2 and think he can just be a clone. 

Rossi scores a lot with the top line, but he's also really effective at controlling play regardless of who his linemates are or what he's asked to do.  If you want him to score more, put him at wing first.  If you want him to be a more defensive minded player, drop him down a line and put him back with Foligno if need be.  He's also pretty damn good in a pinch when Ek is hurt, and younger than Hartman.  He's just going to give you so many more offensive options. 

I'm not saying he has to make Faber money or term.  If the Wild isn't sold on him, give a 2-3 year $4-5m deal first.  See what happens when the Gaudreaus and Zuccarellos and Johanssons are replaced by the Ohgrens and Yurovs.  

Besides, what they are looking for isn't a player to replace anyone.  What they are looking for is a better option than anyone they have at their top (Kaprizov, Ek, Boldy, Faber).  Unless a team is absolutely giving you that kind of player, work with what you have and let him get another offseason to get even better.

[TheGoosesAreLooses]

15 minutes ago, Protec said:

I don't think it's about saying 40 points isn't good enough. The proof is there, Rossi is an NHL value and young with perhaps a much higher ceiling. Therefore a player that could help you get an important need. Nothing wrong with that except for anyone attached to Rossi, hoping for a long-term thing. Looking at all the similar young guys with potential, it's a fair question. Is Rossi in the long-term plan? Should he be? Why? More that the alternatives?

So if we think he has upside, and have been a traditionally center weak team then why pass on him? 

Our Back end is locked in for next year. It would be nice to upgrade some of the backend with the question marks around Spurg but we have signed on pretty much the entire back end if we sign Chisholm. Our front end is similarly pretty set outside our forth line. 11/12 players are locked in with the extensions we signed. So why lock in veterans and trade away our youth? Sounds like cope for the extensions signed this summer and not cashing in on more upside with Rossi. 

As we have seen with the defensive prospects, they are not guaranteed. We have high upside forwards prospects, yes. Do we trade away proven talent on a hope they develop?  

[Glenn]

Let me see. So Rossi isn't good on the power play? Hum maybe he should get more then 20-30 seconds after the first team doesn't do anything and don't forget he has to start with the puck in our own end. Also what about Olgren his team lost out in the playoffs and should be signed now too. Yurov team could be out today,there down 3-1 and should be signed now too. But when you got a GM doing rookie GM mistakes.Blunder Billy is a idiot for those 5 signings.He needs to find away to move at least 2 if not 3 of those contacts. We would have had room for all the rookies then. But just remember there's growing pains with the rookies  but I think we all rather watch them instead of THE OLD AND SLOW GOOD OLD BOYS CLUB.

[Need4speed99]

My biggest problem with this whole thought process on trading rossi, is the "win now" idea.

No matter what Leopold or guerin think this team is NOT a contender and won't be for a couple of years. They have no cap space to make a splashy signing or trade. They HAVE to rely on prospects coming in and elevating this team. Rossi is a huge part of that because he's shown he can improve, much like eek over the last few years.

Trading him would be stupid and hurt the teams development further. I get the space concerns but put some of these vets in the press box and let talent play.

As another point if trading rossi to open up space is really a legit thought by the front office that should further prove just how horrible and stupid all those contracts billy handed out was. 

[Patrick]

This team isn't in "win now" mode. They will be in win now after the cap penalties expire. If they trade Rossi and don't get a fortune in return than it's time to fire BG.  He is literally the best center the Wild have ever drafted at this point in his career (yeah I know Ek is better but he wasn't when he was 22).  It's certifiably insane to trade him.

[Citizen Strife]

Thinking about it more, the only, ONLY thing I could think would be seeing if a draft trade might be possible.  Something like Rossi, Fleury or Gus (probably Gus), and our lottery pick (12th-16th most likely) for someone in the 5-10 range, if there's still a really high end defenseman or winger with size on the board.  I don't think a team would go for it though.

In that scenario, you'd at least be trading away from a position of relative certainty (secondary scoring and backup goalie), assuming you can backfill with Wallstedt, Yurov, Kumpulainen, or Heidt later, hoping they give you what Rossi is giving you now, plus a shot at a big defenseman or winger to replace those lacking in Iowa right now or when Zuccarello and Johannson come off the books.

I don't see any team wanting Gus or Fleury, but Rossi might net some offers...but I doubt any team wants to give up their draft position either.  That's the sticking point.  Rossi seems like a known quantity.  Re-drafting always comes with a risk.

[Will D. Ness]

Yeah it has nothing to do with Rossi not getting points on the PP, or that he is "blocking" anyone.  They are testing the market on Rossi because he is very good and his stock should be sky high.  We have "can't miss" prospects that have similar games as well. 

What I don't get is that we don't have cap space next year so...

Shouldn't this testing the market happen next year at TDL?

 

[Luke Sims]

The Wild should not treat Rossi as excess goods.

[NC Beach Bum]

Wild crying for centers for years and when they get him they trade,  if this happens Guerin needs to go

[Paul Bunyan is Real]

I agree. It's not bc Rossi isn't performing. It's a matter of the team size and trading from a possible strength to address a weaknes. I see 2 possible scenarios where he could be traded. This is assuming all Khusnutdinov, Yurov, and Heidt hit. If you want to be a serious Stanley Cup contender having all 3 of Rossi, Khusnutdinov,  and Heidt in the top 9 makes for a small team. Thus, Rossi could be packaged in a deal to get a young top 4 dman. Or he be be included in a deal to try and get off of Spurgeon's contract next year.

I'm not advocating a trade. But I could see the possibilities. 

[WIWild]

Rossi was already great when we drafted him, had his health issues which caused setbacks, and then worked his ass off this summer, and gave us a pretty consistent (vs streaky), solid season. That trade value better be damn high, because nothing guarantees us his level of commitment from an unknown prospect - some guys may be more interested in their golf game, for example.

[MNCountryLife]

The team is bigger than one player.  If I would get more wins by trading Ek or Kirill I would do it.  Wins are the goals.  But that is the rub isn't it.  Trade them away and we likely lose more games than win.  IMO: Rossi has gotten noticeably better and more assertive as the year has gone on.  So has Faber.  Two rookies that are only going to get better over the next couple of years.  The ROI if we trade players like that away needs to fit the end goal of "We Win More Games".  While it is possible, I doubt a Rossi trade adds more W's.  

[MNCountryLife]

This year is lost.  Next year could be better... but only if Spurgeon, Brodin and Faber stay healthy.  Lose any of those 3 long term next season and the result will likely be the same. 

If .. BIG IF ... we can find a defender that fits a 1D value like those 3... would the value of trading Rossi potentially pay off with more wins.  We need more depth at D.

[MacGyver]

Who is this source that says the Wild are considering trading Rossi? Is this one of those Russo off the cuff comments or has someone in the front office actually confirm it as a possibility or is this just media fodder?

This entire business on penciling in prospects as the next coming before they ever step foot on NHL ice has really gotten out of control. We don't know what Yurov will bring even if he comes here at all. Trading Rossi just to entice him to come because there is now a spot for him would be.....

 

Edited March 28 by MacGyver

[Pewterschmidt]

25 minutes ago, MacGyver said:

This entire business on penciling in prospects as the next coming before they ever step foot on NHL ice has really gotten out of control.

I remember when Walker and Beckman were going to be driving our middle six by now

[mnhockeyfan03]

This team needs to get bigger, stronger, faster anyway possible.  Rossi has gotten better this year but is to small for what we need.  He would be a great center for an eastern conference team.  In the West the team center depth is big guys on the good teams.  Rossi gets pushed around against those teams.  We definitely should look to trade him if we can.  Same exact situation with Spurgeon due to size.  Zuccarello and Johansson same thing.  Also I keep saying this be careful on the Faber next contract.  $5-6mm is fine but anything more than that is overpaying.  Can’t have so many high paid guys or won’t be able to have depth.  Everything right now should be looked at.  This team needs a makeover and they should be playing all the kids the rest of the season and trying to loose as much as possible to get as high of a pick as possible.  We are not making the playoffs need to see what we have. 

[Burnt Toast]

Ya’ll know Rossi is one inch shorter than KK, right? He’s just as strong given the age difference too. Get rid of some dead weight on this team but don’t trade Rossi for a pipe dream. It’s not time to find “Mr. Perfect” take what Rossi’s giving to this team and stop the Trade Train before we regret where it might take us. 

[Protec]

For the right player, trading Rossi wouldn't be the worst. For the wrong guy, it will be an unforced error.

[mnhockeyfan03]

1 hour ago, Burnt Toast said:

Ya’ll know Rossi is one inch shorter than KK, right? He’s just as strong given the age difference too. Get rid of some dead weight on this team but don’t trade Rossi for a pipe dream. It’s not time to find “Mr. Perfect” take what Rossi’s giving to this team and stop the Trade Train before we regret where it might take us. 

Watch KK and Rossi in the corner and you will see the difference.  The way KK uses his lower half of his body with his legs and back positioning.  Rossi tries to rely on quickness and not strength.  That doesn’t work in the playoffs.  We need brute strength.  Rossi’s first few steps aren’t quick enough either.  If you are going to be small your first 3 steps better be fast and also have great lower body strength. Rossi is very similar to Granlund and Middlestad.  Neither will be good in the western conference in a spot we need.  

[Tony Abbott]

8 hours ago, Citizen Strife said:

Thinking about it more, the only, ONLY thing I could think would be seeing if a draft trade might be possible.  Something like Rossi, Fleury or Gus (probably Gus), and our lottery pick (12th-16th most likely) for someone in the 5-10 range, if there's still a really high end defenseman or winger with size on the board.  I don't think a team would go for it though.

In that scenario, you'd at least be trading away from a position of relative certainty (secondary scoring and backup goalie), assuming you can backfill with Wallstedt, Yurov, Kumpulainen, or Heidt later, hoping they give you what Rossi is giving you now, plus a shot at a big defenseman or winger to replace those lacking in Iowa right now or when Zuccarello and Johannson come off the books.

I don't see any team wanting Gus or Fleury, but Rossi might net some offers...but I doubt any team wants to give up their draft position either.  That's the sticking point.  Rossi seems like a known quantity.  Re-drafting always comes with a risk.

Love the idea of giving away Rossi just to get a draft pick that they could've gotten by riding Gustavsson, trading their vets instead of re-signing. What awesome management that'd be for Guerin.