Article: The Wild Are Letting the Tail Wag the Dog With Marco Rossi

[Tom Schreier]

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[MrCheatachu]

Do you think SillyG could go on KFAN and publically talk shit about Rossi prior to trading him?

Rossi and Boldy were the only 2 players to play 82 games this season, and Rossi and Faber were the only 2 players on the roster to play 82 games last season.  By how much Rossi's play dropped off down the stretch, I was hoping it would come out that he was battling an ailment, but that news hasn't trickled out.  Frankly, I would agree with the assessment that Hartzy earned that role in the playoffs over Rossi, simply put, at the time Hartman was playing better hockey than Rossi was.

But yeah, we drafted a big bodied forward (Stramel) who had to go to the transfer portal and center the eventual Hobey Baker winner in order to get an ASTOUNDING 27 points (18 apples) in 37 games...but at least he isn't 5'9, am i right?!

[Willy the poor boy]

5 minutes ago, MrCheatachu said:

Do you think SillyG could go on KFAN and publically talk shit about Rossi prior to trading him?

 

Of course... Why break from tradition?

Ok, so Hartman outperformed Rossi with better linemates. But Rossi coul've replaced Freddie on that line for more production.

[OldDutchChip]

Tom - you are the GM - i am assuming you are signing Rossi LT? So what is the right contract and placement on the lines for him. Go ahead - give me the $ and Y. $10MM for 8?

Did the Wild bench Nyquist for his lack of attention to detail? Of course not. He’s a 35-year-old veteran. Still, they could have demoted Nyquist, elevated Rossi, and moved Hartman to his natural position on the wing. - demoted him where? you realize that 3rd and 4th line played almost EXACT amount of even strength minutes? and Rossi and Trenin and Braz were delivering results - WHY would you break them up? so that Rossi goes to line with Freddy and MJ? do you think that line can make a play? can they hold their own? No, of course not! Or you want Hartman to be given the task to babysit Rossi when he is being deployed against the very best Vegas lines? Nope - protect Rossi! Seriously! Rossi was rightfully placed on the line where his skills could be used. And given time against weaker matchup and the right players surrounding him. 

How about Frederick Gaudreau? The 32-year-old didn’t have any points but played 14 minutes per game in the playoffs. Rossi couldn’t have taken his spot? so let's place Rossi and Mj and Nyquist as a line? just imagine that line .... oh goose bumps! There are matchups to consider and ROssi could not cut it against Vegas top 6. Plain and simple. He got soft minutes because he could not be trusted against top dogs of vegas

Instead, they’ve ostracized him because he doesn’t fit their preferred player prototype.  they did not. rossi struggled. got demoted (deservingly). then rossi found some chemistry with trenin. and hynes left him there to give the team (which is more important than one player - even one as great as Rossi) some sort of balance. maybe if he put $ aside and showed up during the last part of the season and in the playoffs - he'd be signed to the same contract as Boldy (if not higher) - instead he let it become this soap opera

The Wild are about to let a player who went from 40 to 60 points this season at a position they need because Guerin has to squint to see him from his seat in the 300 level.  sometimes players get moved. he is not our priority. he is at most - 4th in the importance ranking among forwards and likely that's too high. so why all the hysteria? 

They will trade skill for size worked out for billy when he got Fabers fat ass for skilled Forward? some say...

[MacGyver]

These Rossi articles keep coming just to keep the forum going at fever pitch I think! 🤔 I've used the term again and again here "Billy's Boys" and it's a real thing. You're either one of them or you're not. Size seems to be a qualifier Billy uses as this article states but really it could be anything. Maybe Billy seen Rossi putting french vanilla creamer in his coffee or drinking a salted caramel frothy milk cappuccino or maybe he caught Rossi washing his hands after using the restroom and Billy thought yeah he's got soft skills can't even drink black coffee and is always washing his hands. 

That's the thing with Billy. He's an emotional and not a critical thinker. One theme keeps showing itself however he does not like small guys who produce.  I couldn't find Andrew Heydt stats listed anywhere but i'm going to guess he was around 5'6" and a buck fifty. 

Edited 14 hours ago by MacGyver

[greg]

Hynes is a stiff.  He got out coached and played.  It's in his DNA lol.  He has a terrible playoff record.  Yes Guerin likes them big and tough.  So what good does it do to bring in these big guys for their size and fighting ability if they can't play hockey?  IMO the NHL is reverting back to goon hockey.  The playoffs have been a joke.  Way to much stick work.  Way too much hitting punching cross checking high sticking after the whistles.  It's getting back to being compared to WWE on skates.  It's sad too

  Such a great fast sport is again being dragged down by the leagues promoting goons.  And the referees are about as bad as I've seen in the past 20 years.  So the Wild will beef up and promote brawn over results.  Apparently that's what fans want.  At least that's what they are saying.  What a waste of skills and talents for the dwindling number of NHL players that can actually play.

[Scalptrash]

Billy will never be happy until he can clone himself 18 times. Old time(r) hockey!

[walt]

I don't get the Rossi deal. BG drafted him at 5'9 165lbs or so. I get BG has a big ego but my god, did he think that he was going to literally coach him up to 6-4 230lbs. Did BG forget his measuring tape and scale during the draft process??  Rossi should tell BG thanks for the opportunity but I'm not playing for you anymore so yes trade me. He will go on to be a legit top 6 center for another team and we can watch Nelson and wait for Charlie 'bust' stramel.. hopefully yurov pans out. 

[Patrick]

31 minutes ago, walt said:

 He will go on to be a legit top 6 center for another team and we can watch Nelson and wait for Charlie 'bust' stramel.. hopefully yurov pans out. 

Yurov is 8 pounds lighter than Rossi...

[MrCheatachu]

37 minutes ago, walt said:

Did BG forget his measuring tape and scale during the draft process??

Drafting Rossi ahead of Cole Perfetti (5'11), Anton Lundell (6'1) and Dylan Holloway (6'1) and then complaining he's too small? 

Nah...doesn't sound like something SillyG would do.

[OldDutchChip]

It’s not the size necessarily but how you use it, Rossi plays the game light 

[Enforceror]

14 minutes ago, OldDutchChip said:

It’s not the size necessarily but how you use it, Rossi plays the game light 

Exactly. If it was only about size, Zucc wouldn't be on the team, nor would Spurgeon. I think everyone is way too hung up on this size thing. It's Rossi's play style BG doesn't like.

[PNW Wild]

2 hours ago, greg said:

So the Wild will beef up and promote brawn over results.

Let's bring back the days when we had Boogey Man, Todd Fedoruk, and thought that wasn't enough the Wild trade deadline addition was grabbing Chris Simon! 

[Burnt Toast]

4 hours ago, greg said:

Such a great fast sport is again being dragged down by the leagues promoting goons.  And the referees are about as bad as I've seen in the past 20 years.

I’m ready to move on from Bettman. The league needs a spark. I love watching Kap, NMcK, McD. Probably my least favorite hockey moment of the last decade was watching KK getting hit then sat on then folded to the ice. I’d also like the league to get serious about cross checks. Make it a mandatory 5 minute major. It would make scoring go up and create a more dynamic atmosphere around the net. I think it’s an absolute crime to see really good skill guys get their careers shortened by someone who’s name I can’t remember, nor do I enjoy watching. The game is inherently violent by its nature, speed, solid boards, and a frozen puck. The NFL is not a perfect league but they are a good example of making changes to protect their players and grow the game.