Article: Is Any (Realistic) 2024 Draft Pick Worth Marco Rossi?

[Tony Abbott]

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[Willy the poor boy]

When the Wild picked Rossi, the most intriguing thing for me in all the reviews of his game was his work ethic and drive. To date that has proven to be the correct take. 

Whoever the Wild pick I hope they have those same attributes. I have lost faith in the Wilds development system. They need players that are just gonna do what they need to do to succeed and not someone who thinks it's just gonna happen. 

[Up North Guy]

too much logic here Tony. It will never fly.😎

[Citizen Strife]

Thing is, I don't know what Heidt, Yurov, etc have.  I've seen what Rossi does, and he's done it on an NHL stage already.  So...dumping him is a risk regardless of the reward.

[TheGoosesAreLooses]

Please not for a draft pick. Rossi has proven he can compete at an NHL level. Trading him for anything unproven should be a nonstarter, even in a talent rich draft. 

By all accounts the top 15 players of the draft are all high NHL caliber players. The difference between 3-15 seems to be a matter of opinion. Why give up a proven asset (that has likely not hit his ceiling) for something we will get anyway at pick 13? 

I'm pretty sour with Guerin already but if he does this I'm lighting a torch and sharpening my pitchfork

#pitchforkisout

[Willy the poor boy]

4 minutes ago, TheGoosesAreLooses said:

Please not for a draft pick. Rossi has proven he can compete at an NHL level. Trading him for anything unproven should be a nonstarter, even in a talent rich draft. 

By all accounts the top 15 players of the draft are all high NHL caliber players. The difference between 3-15 seems to be a matter of opinion. Why give up a proven asset (that has likely not hit his ceiling) for something we will get anyway at pick 13? 

I'm pretty sour with Guerin already but if he does this I'm lighting a torch and sharpening my pitchfork

#pitchforkisout

[Burnt Toast]

I’ve been waiting for the Wild to breakout for 20+ years. Rossi for a pick= more development time= longer wait time. Absolutely not! No more Mr. Nice Fan. I have one more year of patience, that’s it!!

[FredJohnson]

1 hour ago, Willy the poor boy said:

I have lost faith in the Wilds development system. They need players that are just gonna do what they need to do to succeed and not someone who thinks it's just gonna happen.

Samesies. It's why I don't want The Wall in Iowa next season regardless of Gus Bus being on the roster. Down there he won't get the coaching necessary to improve and be good-to-great.

[FredJohnson]

38 minutes ago, Willy the poor boy said:

Yeah, this proposition seems like something the Twins would do. Trade a player for prospects and picks once he looks like he's getting good. (It's so the Twins don't have to pay up)

[mnfaninnc]

4 hours ago, TheGoosesAreLooses said:

Please not for a draft pick. Rossi has proven he can compete at an NHL level. Trading him for anything unproven should be a nonstarter, even in a talent rich draft. 

By all accounts the top 15 players of the draft are all high NHL caliber players. The difference between 3-15 seems to be a matter of opinion. Why give up a proven asset (that has likely not hit his ceiling) for something we will get anyway at pick 13? 

I'm pretty sour with Guerin already but if he does this I'm lighting a torch and sharpening my pitchfork

#pitchforkisout

I think if you snag Montreal's 5, or if both Lindstrom and Silayev are still available at 5, we could go for 6. As I've said before I think Lindstrom will be a game changer, and I could see him filling right in for Rossi right off the bat.

To answer Tony's scrutiny on him with Catton's numbers. Lindstrom got hurt, his hand, and it limited him in games. He may drop a little due to that.

Now, for clarification purposes, Tony, are you suggesting that Rossi goes for the draft pick, or is it Rossi + 13? If it is Rossi + 13, is there some lower level picks we could take to bolster the defense such as in your previous article? I'd do it for Lindstrom or Silayev, but if they're gone, I'm probably not trading (though Demidov is intriguing). 

TGAL, I'm not sure why you're afraid to go after one of these top guys in this draft. They won't be an immediate improvement, but I think over time they will surpass Rossi. I like Rossi, I don't think he's too small, but a guy like Lindstrom has something Rossi does not have, extra size. He's also quite an offensive threat. 

Boy, if the cards dropped right, if we could come away with Lindstrom at 5 or 6 and Yakemchuk at 13, that would be really sweet! Both players are likely closer to the N than we think.

[TCMooch]

I never thought I would live to see the day a Wild GM is actively shopping and shitting on a rookie center that just posted 20+ goals and is doing everything he’s been asked to do.

Bill Guerin is an awful GM and I’ll be happy to see him go.

Edited June 21 by TCMooch

[Need4speed99]

I don't understand any of the rossi trade rumors... it IS just like the twins, trade a promising player proving it at the pro level for prospects and telling the fanbase to be patient.

I, among others on here, have said let the kids play.  The rebuttal is always the wild need to show kap they can win. Ok, then why trade a promising NHLER for a prospect? 

Atleast bringing up other prospects up you can see what you have got and who can compliment kap going forward. Trading a guy who can keep improving and be a major asset for a prospect, at this point, is pushing it back. 

You can't bring in a vet to magically change things( more so with Billy's track record) or HOPE a prospect becomes that overnight.

This is the mark of a desperate team trying anything(but letting prospects play this year) to stay relevant and eek into the playoffs. 

Edited June 21 by Need4speed99

[Fezig]

4 hours ago, TCMooch said:

I never thought I would live to see the day a Wild GM is actively shopping and shitting on a rookie center that just posted 20+ goals and is doing everything he’s been asked to do.

Bill Guerin is an awful GM and I’ll be happy to see him go.

Just because the media is saying the Wild and Billy G are trying to trade Rossi doesn't make it true. I'm taking the rumor with many grains of sand.

[MacGyver]

There is certainly enough smoke here for there to be a fire. Besides Guerin would or at least should have squashed the rumor by now were it not based in fact. He would probably have had Russo do it for him but he should have done it by now. If Guerin is leaving Rossi twisting in the wind like this then he's an if  even worse GM than expected.

I think Guerin does things based on emotion. I feel he makes decisions about players at a first glance, he either likes them or he doesn't. Regardless of what a player does after that will not change his perception.  Rossi for whatever reason does not pass the test. He's not one of Billy's boys.  

Given there is a list of interested teams makes it real. It may be the best thing for Rossi at this point to get new surroundings. 

 

[Citizen Strife]

The last I'd heard, Russo said something like, "temper expectations" on Rossi going.  It's obviously if there's an amazing deal out there, do it.  But, like the Gus situation, you have time.  Maybe a trade deadline situation?  Aren't teams more desperate and likely to sell more than they want for stuff then?

[Protec]

Probably not a pick worth trading Rossi for right now. Unnecessary risk is the quick answer, short-term conclusion.

13th overall is fine. Look at how Nolan Patrick was always hurt and fizzled right out of hockey. How bout Bogosian? He was a top pick and some think he's terrible, only around for his beard-powers.

Rossi isn't a large, complete center destined to be a dominant 1C. He's not an unknown related to his NHL offense or skill. Health maybe, but it sure seems unwise to trade a 22yo offensive guy for an 18yo prospect unless you're trying to arrange a schedule to resign players and organize who you're going to allocate cap to. Maybe the Wild have wanted to go a new direction and Rossi's value at a max is driving this timing ahead of the Wild's freedom from cap penalties?

There are some angles that make this kind of trade okay perhaps, but I think we all agree trading Rossi should be for a player. Boone Jenner, or Provorov from CBJ, not Laine. Or Kesserling and a 2nd from Utah, not a pick. IF, the Jackets or Habs would trade their 1st round pick for Rossi, that would be pretty unlikely/unpopular but good for the options it would give MN to select from a deep pool of high-end players. If there's been legit "hockey trade" comments the Wild should be safe from Rossi being traded for less than 4th-6th overall. If the Wild could somehow keep their 13th, though it could be a great opportunity to setup the Wild for a nice insurance against losing Kaprizov. From that perspective, it could be pretty good for the post-cap penalty positioning to pick up two early picks in this draft. 

[MacGyver]

I have said before IF Kaprizov wants to leave it may be for reasons other than the teams current roster or structure. So basing trades on keeping Kaprizov may be a moot deal. Unless there have already been discussions between Kaprizov's agent and Guerin but there has not even been a whiff of smoke that has happened. 

If Kaprizov has communicated a reluctance to sign another contract here then trade him now. 

[Up North Guy]

1 hour ago, Protec said:

Boone Jenner, or Provorov from CBJ

Boone Jenner five years ago perhaps but certainly not at 31 years old.

[TheGoosesAreLooses]

15 hours ago, mnfaninnc said:

TGAL, I'm not sure why you're afraid to go after one of these top guys in this draft. They won't be an immediate improvement, but I think over time they will surpass Rossi. I like Rossi, I don't think he's too small, but a guy like Lindstrom has something Rossi does not have, extra size. He's also quite an offensive threat. 

I am against it because none of these guys are proven NHL players. Not many in each draft end up putting up 40 pts as a rookie centerman. It also pushes our contention window back, no longer coinciding with resigning Kap. 

I think it stinks of desperation while he is locked in to all these vet contracts and I think we are trading a solid, defensively sound with offensive upside, building block on a hope and a prayer. The type of center we would have hoped to get for so many years. He is not at his ceiling and we want to trade him away and it doesn't sit right with me. 

I also value Rossi's attitude. He has worked so had to get where he is and I don't think he will fade in his work ethic. That is something to be valued. This kid will do anything the team asks to contribute more and looking through the league that trait is far more rare than you think. He takes constructive criticism to heart and has perseverance in spades. 

In my eyes the risk vs reward just isn't worth it to move up or gain another 1st. There are so many unknowns and I have doubts about our development system in Iowa to make NHLer's out of our prospects. McLean deserves another couple seasons before we pass judgement but right now Iowa looks like a mess. 

[Protec]

3 minutes ago, Up North Guy said:

Boone Jenner five years ago perhaps but certainly not at 31 years old.

At a surface level, yes I would agree with you. When you stop and think about a 31yo character-guy with experience and history of greasy playoff performances who can score nearly as much as current day Rossi, there's no reason to automatically assume he couldn't help the Wild achieve balance. Plus he's on a decent deal that isn't too long. Been a captain on that struggling team. If he wanted to make the tail-end of his career count, could MN be a good place to do it? If he had a good year or not, you could extend him or move on. My point is that the "different look" for MN with Laine could be potent offensively but a more responsible, more complete, versatile guy would be less flashy, but better for the Wild's balance. That's why I believe they're testing the waters for Rossi. The Wild have a style and presence with Rossi that might be less big & fast than what's needed to defeat Dallas, Vegas, or Edmonton in the playoffs. 

I just don't think the Wild can expect all the stars to align perfectly where all the players we have or select become the Cup winning team. Kaprizov is here now and the Wild are a team that can make the playoffs. They're a team that can do what Winnipeg or Nashville did last year to turnaround their crummy Central finish. They could follow Edmonton's example and make adjustments to a Round 1 loser team and get deep into the playoffs.

A lot of love for Rossi here and that's great. He's overcome a lot and become productive. I just wonder how anyone can contrast him to a Barkov, Zibenejad, O'Rielly, Miller, Draisaitl, Byfield, or Benn, or any of the guys you'd have to beat to reach a Cup Final? We can't pretend Rossi is going to become better than or equal to those guys in ALL aspects because those guys are much bigger, stronger, or more experienced. MN likes Rossi too much. Nothing personal but saying Guerin is stupid to trade him is very narrow-minded. 

Personally, I'd prefer Trent Frederic, but Boston trading him for Rossi is way less likely. Jenner is an easy target to be critical of sure. I'm just not with you guys who think keeping Rossi as a core-guy is critical. I would like to see the Wild make a stronger push in the last two Kaprizov years to win and prove they're a team who can win more. It's an important part of keeping Kirill around, but if it doesn't happen, the Wild are still deficient at center with Ek, and Rossi as your top guys or expecting Hartman, Yurov, or potentially Knudi, Heidt, Stramel to be top NHL centers. That takes time and experience which MN has almost none. Rossi has yet to play a single playoff game. I don't know him, but does he crank it up for playoffs or is he like other Euros who struggle under pressure and physicality? We've kinda seen that already. Not in the playoffs and yeah he's still young so I'm not trying to rip Rossi, but I'd like to see the Wild find balance in more ways than just stat-lines or future potential. 

[B1GKappa97]

9 hours ago, TCMooch said:

I never thought I would live to see the day a Wild GM is actively shopping and shitting on a rookie center that just posted 20+ goals and is doing everything he’s been asked to do.

Bill Guerin is an awful GM and I’ll be happy to see him go.

Its nothing but rumors at this point.

Where are you reading that the GM is actively calling other teams to shop Rossi around? I doubt that is the case.. 

[Dean]

IMO if they can trade into the top 5 for Rossi then  You have to do it. If you trust your scouting department then it’s good idea.  Rossi isn’t that 2 nd center to get you through playoff rounds . Ek , Rossi , knat , Fred g is a joke for center depth . Talk about getting run over . Rossi might have a spot here if we had a different supporting cast but we don’t. We have a team full of little wingers , ahl centers an a Mighty Mouse d core . They need to do some horse trading  with these prospects or we’re just developing a bunch of beckmans. The pr department uses them for hopes and dreams til the hopes and dreams run out . Then on to the next fantasy. At least with the top 5 you have a chance for franchise changing talent. If your so called scouts can do there jobs. 
   The trading reluctant kappy is mind boggling to me.  I agree if he absolutely doesn’t want to stay it’s a good idea. However he said he wants to win. That’s Craig’s and Billy’s problem not kappys bad attitude. So trade the one guy who can play on a mcdavid level because your owner an gm are terrible at building anything. How many years has Billy had to build something for kappy? What has Billy done. ? Kept us in the mushy middle with  Average draft picks is all. If kappy walks it’s on BILLY . He’s had the time but sat on his hands or handcuffed himself for his tenure. 
   To me it’s all about keeping kappy. You can’t just go get one of those guys but you can get a Rossi. There’s a bunch of them in the league playing golf all summer 

[TheGoosesAreLooses]

4 hours ago, Protec said:

I just wonder how anyone can contrast him to a Barkov, Zibenejad, O'Rielly, Miller, Draisaitl, Byfield, or Benn, or any of the guys you'd have to beat to reach a Cup Final?

Below are the stats for each player mentioned in their rookie season;

Barkov 16G 20A 36Pts, 35G 61A 96pts for age 23

Zibanejad 7G 13A 20Pts, 14G 23A 37pts for age 23 

O'Rielly 8G 18A 28Pts, 17G 38A 55pts for age 23

Miller 22G 21A 43Pts (Age 22 was first full season)

Draisaitl 19G 32A 51pts, 50G 55A 105pts

Byfield Age 21 with over 91 games played before this season 20G 35A 55Pts

Benn 22G 19A 41Pts, 12G 21A 23pts age 23

 

How many of these great names you put up actually outplayed Rossi in their respective rookie seasons? Or their age 23 seasons for that matter?

Marco Rossi 21G 19A 40pts (age 22)

Looking over who you consider a true number 1C, looks like you would have been open to trading many of these guys their first season under the guise of the grass may be greener elsewhere. This is why I am vehemently against trading Rossi, we have yet to see his ceiling or even his second full year in the league. Sure, Barkov and Draisaitl are out to lunch expectations but both those guys went 2nd and 3rd overall in their drafts. Rossi was 9th.

Furthermore, looking at even strength numbers and linemates and Rossi looks even better. Barkov didn't score over 19 even strength goals until he had been in the league 5 years at age 23. Draisaitl didn't score over 19 even strength goals until he was on his 4th season in the league at age 23.

We talked a ton about depth scoring and how we didn't have it during the year but we want to trade one of the few guys actually producing that? In his first full year?! ON A LINE WITH NOJO!?!?!?!🤯

I think many underestimate just how significant Rossi's season was because he was 22 instead of entering the league at 19. He is still learning to pay at an NHL pace and is almost sure to improve further. I would hate to see him do that for another team.

[BillieGismylover]

15 hours ago, TCMooch said:

I never thought I would live to see the day a Wild GM is actively shopping and shitting on a rookie center that just posted 20+ goals and is doing everything he’s been asked to do.

Bill Guerin is an awful GM and I’ll be happy to see him go.

Bill has balls. You gotta give him that. To tell Parise and Suter to pound sand knowing the financial consequences was the right move. Let’s see what Billy can do with a full deck of cards next offseason.

[mnfaninnc]

8 hours ago, B1GKappa97 said:

Where are you reading that the GM is actively calling other teams to shop Rossi around? I doubt that is the case.. 

I finally saw it on a national site where the 25 most likely traded players this summer were listed.

Rossi comes in at 21, and the teams we knew about before were the interested teams in him. 

But, interestingly, Goose comes in at 9. We can cross NJ off the list, but Carolina was one of the teams. Picking up a guy like Necas would be huge for the Wild.