Article: Marco Rossi Is Looking Like A Top-Line Center

[Tony Abbott]

46 minutes ago, Lovehockey said:

The Kaprizov-Rossi-Zuccarello line will not be successful against the physical players. Because they are skilled they will score some goals but it will not be even close to the Ek-Kaprisov-Boldy line. It will not be pack position, nor consistent pressure. And this is the problem Rossi presents for this team. Not saying he is bad by no means. And the last with Columbus showed that, most of time this line was not producing anything.

with saying this i understand why the line was creating (speed the wealth) but don’t expect Kaprisov be happy with this. Wait for few more games with better teams, and bigger teams 

 

They've faced some big blue lines. You saw Rossi take on Parayko behind the net, he's as physical as it gets. That line thrived against Jamie Oleksiak and Adam Larsson. Winnipeg always brings it. I don't understand how anyone can look at the way Kaprizov/Rossi play and are built and assume that they're these delicate flowers who can't take on tall players. You don't think coaches have thought to throw size at Kaprizov before?

[Lovehockey]

8 minutes ago, Tony Abbott said:

They've faced some big blue lines. You saw Rossi take on Parayko behind the net, he's as physical as it gets. That line thrived against Jamie Oleksiak and Adam Larsson. Winnipeg always brings it. I don't understand how anyone can look at the way Kaprizov/Rossi play and are built and assume that they're these delicate flowers who can't take on tall players. You don't think coaches have thought to throw size at Kaprizov before?

Tony They are competitive players but everyone can do only what their physical abilities allow them to do. And of course coaches though about this but as of now Wild does not have any other choice if they want to have two competitive line. But i cannot be agree  Rossi-Kaprizov-Zuccarello is even close to Ek-Kaprizov-Boldy. And last year actually proof of this. So let’s wait and see how this will played out 

[LittleBallofHate]

It didn't matter if the Wild played a solid old-school gritty game against Dallas. The stripes wanted to throw out an abuse of power & control the fans & the Wild's high-energy play style... I firmly believe when the X started rocking, the refs had it set in their heads that they were going to eject our players to make an example for just about anything. That is what annoys me about everyone ragging on Hartman for stupid penalties, it wouldn't have mattered what our agitators did because the refs had handcuffs ready before the puck dropped, they didn't want the Wild to play their playstyle, thus "setting the tone" for a wimpass pantywaste team to sandbag until they would get a powerplay sent their way... That whole deal was a Fu($#ing disgrace. "Deflection" My ass, someone should beat that freakn cutesy smile off dime-store Kevin Spacey's face.

Of course, the Zebra's feel no need to impose such strict control when your clueless fanbase throws hissy fits & starts barraging the rink with beer cans... No just punish the other fanbase.

[Pewterschmidt]

35 minutes ago, Tony Abbott said:

No, almost 90% of his 5-on-5 minutes have come with Kaprizov; 85% have come with Zuccarello. Any other time with other forwards is probably from on-the-fly changes and the first shift after a power play expires.

I think it was just the first game Rossi centered Thing 1 and Thing 2

[Citizen Strife]

Any concern about Rossi depends on the points he has at the end of the season.

40-50: no to little improvement; Guerin either cuts his losses or gets a short bridge in term and price.

50-60: suitable increase in production that likely keeps him here, and he either settles for the Ek bargain, or pushes for the Lundell money ($5-6m)

60-70: Unlikely, but overwhelmingly positive, and you push for Beniers/Boldy money ($7m)

70+: that's an absurd 30 pt improvement in one year, near PPG, and you sign him to "fuck you money." He's likely that 1C going forward, and would be hard to convince anyone otherwise.

I pegged him at 55-60 pts, and would be happy with that, Kap line inflation or not.  Rossi proves somehow better than that, then I'm over the moon.

 

 

 

[Imyourhuckleberry]

24 minutes ago, Pewterschmidt said:

I think it was just the first game Rossi centered Thing 1 and Thing 2

That could be right.  With Trenin and Foligno assisting on Rossi's goal to start the scoring in Columbus, I had thought maybe he was getting more shifts with them that game, but I was unable to watch that one.

If that was simply a line change, it was exquisite timing for Rossi to enter the zone from the bench, get the puck back to the corner and cut towards the net.

https://www.nhl.com/video/min-at-cbj-recap-6363506769112

 

[Burnt Toast]

6 hours ago, mnfaninnc said:

this should make ODC happy.

This is key to the Wild’s success this year. If not things could go south quickly. ( At HW I mean.) 😂 

[FredJohnson]

1 hour ago, Tony Abbott said:

No, almost 90% of his 5-on-5 minutes have come with Kaprizov; 85% have come with Zuccarello. Any other time with other forwards is probably from on-the-fly changes and the first shift after a power play expires.

Thanks Tony! I appreciate it and these articles. I live out of state and don't see but a couple Wild games per year.

[Burnt Toast]

4 hours ago, TheGoosesAreLooses said:

All of these four have a very good chance to raise their value substantially this year and getting ahead of it and keeping those contracts low is the key to getting that big free agent.

The Wild need to get these contracts done asap. These younger players are super important to the team’s future. They are developing nicely and have some upside as well. I feel like BG likes to keep his options open, but IMO he sometimes chooses the wrong ones. 

[Dango]

My idea would be to put a muscle guy with Rossi and Kaprizov  ,  I mean Yzerman had no problem with Probie  on his line, use a talented puck handling D-man with them  ,  Zucc can slide with the 2nd line   ,  

Heres another idea ,  switch the 2nd line and make that the first line so that Kaprizov , Rossi ,Zucc  follow up the momentum created off of them  instead of following the 4rfh  where there is less momentum  .   

 

[Enforceror]

25 minutes ago, Dango said:

My idea would be to put a muscle guy with Rossi and Kaprizov  ,  I mean Yzerman had no problem with Probie  on his line, use a talented puck handling D-man with them  ,  Zucc can slide with the 2nd line   ,  

Heres another idea ,  switch the 2nd line and make that the first line so that Kaprizov , Rossi ,Zucc  follow up the momentum created off of them  instead of following the 4rfh  where there is less momentum  .   

 

My answer to everything right now:

Needs more Lauko.

[FredJohnson]

9 hours ago, Protec said:

The answer is cause he got the grit-injections in IA. 😁

Twas the Swiss COVID Vax!

[mnfaninnc]

17 hours ago, Tony Abbott said:

They've faced some big blue lines. You saw Rossi take on Parayko behind the net, he's as physical as it gets. That line thrived against Jamie Oleksiak and Adam Larsson. Winnipeg always brings it. I don't understand how anyone can look at the way Kaprizov/Rossi play and are built and assume that they're these delicate flowers who can't take on tall players. You don't think coaches have thought to throw size at Kaprizov before?

Tony, to me the Kaprizov/Rossi pair needs to be kept together. Where I think you can make improvements is with Zuccarello. Last 2 games, he has kept up fine and been a factor, but I suspect age will catch up with him. If he can't shoot gaps and drive nets, this line is in trouble. I'd suggest putting Ohgren in Zuccarello's spot at times and see how he works there. Maybe just a couple of shifts a game to start with to give Zuccarello a rest (or, perhaps in blowouts to really give him a rest). 

At this point, we've got Zuccy for a couple of more years in contract, but we should now be grooming his replacement. Whether that's someone like Ohgren or Yurov, I don't know. I mentioned Ohgren because I believe he is a very good puck retriever and that line could use that. 

Another possibility is double shifting the Kaprizov/Rossi pair and including Ohgren that way. I believe both players have the lungs for it.

[Will D. Ness]

I'm sure I'm the outlier here but I haven't been all that impressed at all with the top line.  I've seen a few random shifts throughout the first 5 games here that looked like they might eventually get it together but for the most part hasn't looked all that cohesive to me.

To me, the success that Rossi and the top line has had is mostly opportunistic.

Playing better teams is going to change that and we are going to need a top line to generate chances with a little more control IMO.

[Tony Abbott]

For the "wait until he plays against bigger teams" crowd:

Rossi scored his goal fighting for space around the net against Aaron Ekblad (6-foot-4) and Nikko Mikkola (6-foot-6)

[Citizen Strife]

I felt it was premature when Tony banged the "put Rossi with Kap already" drum.  I'm finding it harder and harder to disagree.  They just have this knack for scoring, and Rossi isn't just a playmaker: he's getting goals the hard way, and it really balances the line really well.  Kap is usually the dual threat, Zucc is just an assist merchant: but man: they are all getting goals.

[MacGyver]

Sure I'll take the opportunity to dump on Guerin. Rossi and Gus would both be wearing a different jersey right now if Guerin had his way.  Guerin is far more lucky than he is good. He didn't get Laine and he had to keep Gus and Rossi.  One day the luck will switch sides.  

 

[Enforceror]

11 hours ago, Citizen Strife said:

I felt it was premature when Tony banged the "put Rossi with Kap already" drum.  I'm finding it harder and harder to disagree.  They just have this knack for scoring, and Rossi isn't just a playmaker: he's getting goals the hard way, and it really balances the line really well.  Kap is usually the dual threat, Zucc is just an assist merchant: but man: they are all getting goals.

Yet Zucc has been scoring goals too (although I generally would agree).