Article: Marco Rossi Looks Ready To Take Another Step

[Tony Abbott]

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[Fezig]

First!

[Pewterschmidt]

Yurov:

In three games, Yurov has won 17 of 44 draws (38.6 percent), going 10-for-18 in his debut against a young Winnipeg Jets team and 2-for-14 against a Dallas Stars team that was closer to its regular-season lineup. In Thursday’s rematch against the Stars, he went 5-for-12.

[Citizen Strife]

Just nice to have Rossi signed.  A little breathing room after the years long circus.  Hope he improves even more 

[Citizen Strife]

2 hours ago, Pewterschmidt said:

Yurov:

In three games, Yurov has won 17 of 44 draws (38.6 percent), going 10-for-18 in his debut against a young Winnipeg Jets team and 2-for-14 against a Dallas Stars team that was closer to its regular-season lineup. In Thursday’s rematch against the Stars, he went 5-for-12.

I expect those numbers to improve, but this is why the "one or the other" option never made sense.  Rossi getting traded with this current Yurov as the replacement is a bad idea.  Hartman at 2C while 10 years older than Rossi is a bad tradeoff while trying to see where Yurov fits.

[MNCountryLife]

He was noticeable on the ice.  Impactful.   I thought Rossi and Boldy were the two best Wild players on Thursday.    Good to see a young player rise to the challenge set before him. 

[MNCountryLife]

Rossi got in a scuffle in that game as well.   Good to see him have a little Moxi in his bones. 

[FredJohnson]

Marco Rossi Looks Ready To Take Another Step

 

Not possible...he's not +6 foot and + 200 lbs...he's a bust.

[1Brotherbill]

Rossi is going to be Rossi until he isn't Rossi.  Just like Dumba was Dumba until he wasn't anymore.  Marco is going to be a solid player for a long time with this team but he will always be the guy that the media thinks they should trade.

He is young, quick, and skilled.  Also, and this will never change, he is short.  Though he is only two inches shorter than Kirill and Riley Heidt and many other NHL players. 

[Scalptrash]

I wonder if Billy promised him that he would start on the top line (not forever, but as long as he produces) if he signed the same contract he was offered previously. I think his biggest concern was being buried in the bottom six.

That first game since signing was definitely an in your face moment.

[Pewterschmidt]

1 hour ago, Scalptrash said:

That first game since signing was definitely an in your face moment.

Hadn’t thought of this but I bet you’re right.  Rossi got more dawg in him than I thought.  

[fikifuka]

Just finally trust the guy and center him with Kap and Boldy, give them 20' including PP1 and you have a tremendous top line. They can provide K/120, R/80, B/90 points together. I would form a very strong 4th energyline with Foligno, Sturm, Trenin and then find out in training camp who of the 6 wingers fits best with EE and Hartman as centers. 

[Pewterschmidt]

Why did Bill give 97 a full no move in the final year of his contract. how did 97 have that much leverage five years ago to demand that. seems like a very bonehead choice by Bill. this situation would be very different right now without 97 no move clause in the final year.

if this ends with 97 walking for nothing then it’s a cut and dried firing offense.  

[mnfaninnc]

Now that Rossi is signed, I think he will be a very valuable asset. He definitely isn't overpaid, and has come into camp checking 2 boxes that were arguments against 7 x $7m (working on faceoffs and bulking up).

For Fred: I don't have a problem with height, 5'-9" is not a bad height, and I do like the lower center of gravity. A 5'-9" player who has bulked out and is stocky can turn a much taller defenseman's legs into pretzels and get underneath them. I do, however, believe that every player needs to be serious about bulking up and adding considerable strength. If Rossi is 5'-9" 196, he's pretty close to his maximum competitive weight. And, without the myocarditis, he should have been here 2 years ago.

If you remember some of Rossi's draft highlights, he was tenacious, but also ran a rush very well. This has always been in him, though, I think at times he has lacked confidence to do this. He has done everything he has needed to do to prepare for this upcoming season, and if he and Boldy click with Kaprizov, I would imagine Kaprizov may see the dynamic and want to resign in that environment. 

I'd also like to comment on the contract from a different perspective. Sometimes, not all the time, but sometimes a young player can get the big contract too early so that they take their foot off the gas and do not fully put the effort in to get to where they could be. I think this is the main reason for an RFA season where bridge deals should be used. Rossi is paid fairly, arguably team friendly, and he can keep driving and getting better through the next 3 seasons. Coming too early and perhaps he never gets to that level? Maybe he doesn't take the offseason so seriously, doesn't work with Thorton, and takes a few days off from lifting only getting to 192. 

In life, there are times when you reach your peak and can rely on what you've learned, what you've built and reach a level you are comfortable with. But at this particular age group, there is a specific desire to keep getting better, and still having that carrot in front of you is an important motivation that there is more at the end of the contract. With the cap going up so fast, it is quite possible that Rossi will exceed his income with the next deal and make up for anything he may have lost. 

I would suggest that management go back to the bridge model, at least in the Wild organization and keep these guys building upon themselves. Only the truly elite should be getting the big contract filling out RFA years, and I'd consider Kaprizov that type of player. Plus, he was an older RFA and should have been able to be trusted more. Personally, guys like Boldy and Faber are really good players, but probably also should have been bridged. My hope is that they have enough responsibility to continue getting to where their peak would be. 

I consider this all part of the development cycle. Too much too soon can implode a promising talent. I would always defer to the bridge format unless there was someone really, really special. When you think about it, if the team is managed correctly and not in salary cap trouble, it is only the truly special that get offersheeted. 

I am happy that Rossi is signed and look for big things from him which will make this contract one of the most valuable in the league. Barring injury, he should be a really big sign in 3 years, and my hope is that we do it.

[goenzoy]

8 hours ago, fikifuka said:

Just finally trust the guy and center him with Kap and Boldy, give them 20' including PP1 and you have a tremendous top line.

Rossi is not a top line center and should play 2C 

At the same time it was a big joke to put him on 4th line during playoff just because his performance declined at the end of regular season 

[fikifuka]

14 hours ago, goenzoy said:

Rossi is not a top line center and should play 2C 

He is the best available at the Wild.

[0 Stanley Cups]

21 hours ago, goenzoy said:

Rossi is not a top line center and should play 2C 

At the same time it was a big joke to put him on 4th line during playoff just because his performance declined at the end of regular season 

BG is entering his seventh season as Wild GM and still hasn't addressed a better option for 1C.  Rossi is the best available option for the Wild, Ek will never be a 80 point guy, sounds like Yurov will take some development which is understandable as a young player coming to a new country/language. 

We could've drafted Wyatt Johnston or Cal Ritchie, but Stramel will likely need a year or two in Iowa.  Potential 1 and 2C's do get moved just not often, such as JT Miller, Horvat, Dach, Cozens, Zegras, Strome, Dubois, but either we've lacked cap space (Parise/Suter=BG's decision) or we're too risk averse and we only desire a sure thing which isn't realistic.  Maybe spending so many assets on Jiricek wasn't a prudent decision.  BG should've realized the Wild's Stanley Cup window is now opening while KK97 is in his prime.

[SkolWild73]

On 9/28/2025 at 8:42 AM, Pewterschmidt said:

Why did Bill give 97 a full no move in the final year of his contract. how did 97 have that much leverage five years ago to demand that. seems like a very bonehead choice by Bill. this situation would be very different right now without 97 no move clause in the final year.

if this ends with 97 walking for nothing then it’s a cut and dried firing offense.  

Getting a no movement clause in your contract once you are eligible for it is not something uncommon for the top players.  McDavid, Matthews, MacKinnon, Tkachuk, Eichel, Marner, etc., all signed contracts before they were eligible and all of them received NMC during the life of that contract once they either reached 7 years or turned 27, whichever was sooner.  Like Kap, Matthews and MacKinnon received theirs' the last year of their contract also.

[0 Stanley Cups]

51 minutes ago, SkolWild73 said:

Getting a no movement clause in your contract once you are eligible for it is not something uncommon for the top players.  McDavid, Matthews, MacKinnon, Tkachuk, Eichel, Marner, etc., all signed contracts before they were eligible and all of them received NMC during the life of that contract once they either reached 7 years or turned 27, whichever was sooner.  Like Kap, Matthews and MacKinnon received theirs' the last year of their contract also.

Kaprizov's leverage was threatening to return to the KHL, and in Billy's infinite wisdom, he folded like a lawn chair.

[M_Nels]

4 minutes ago, 0 Stanley Cups said:

Kaprizov's leverage was threatening to return to the KHL, and in Billy's infinite wisdom, he folded like a lawn chair.

What would your master contract negotiations have looked like?

[0 Stanley Cups]

5 minutes ago, M_Nels said:

What would your master contract negotiations have looked like?

Could have had at least a 5 team trade list in the final year of the deal.  Remember this deal was signed after only one season of only 55 games with the Wild when he was still RFA.

[M_Nels]

6 minutes ago, 0 Stanley Cups said:

Could have had at least a 5 team trade list in the final year of the deal.  Remember this deal was signed after only one season of only 55 games with the Wild when he was still RFA.

Yeah I get it but players also want that security when betting on themselves on a shorter contract like that and can't always predict what 5 teams are/were going to be contending.

Whether it's "tampering", extreme hardball by Theofanous or who knows what holding it up I'm ready for this distraction to be over. If Kirill truly wants to walk and it's been communicated there's nothing GMBG or CL can do about it but need to get that info/team list ASAP so we can get assets coming back.  

[Pewterschmidt]

41 minutes ago, 0 Stanley Cups said:

Kaprizov's leverage was threatening to return to the KHL, and in Billy's infinite wisdom, he folded like a lawn chair.

sort of my thought too.  without a NMC we could be entertaining a bidding war.  But once again bill shit the bed.  

 

[Pewterschmidt]

11 minutes ago, M_Nels said:

players also want that security when betting on themselves on a shorter contract

Kirill refused to sign a long-term deal so a logical trade off would've been for the Wild to get a 10-team trade list in final year.  

[SkolWild73]

46 minutes ago, 0 Stanley Cups said:

Kaprizov's leverage was threatening to return to the KHL, and in Billy's infinite wisdom, he folded like a lawn chair.

Like I said, NMC's are pretty common practice and not exclusive to Kap.