By Luke Sims -
Marco Rossi isn't the only RFA center without a contract this offseason. Rossi also isn't the only RFA with a complicated negotiation process. Anaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish is also unsigned and looking for a new deal, whether it’s in Orange County or elsewhere.
Given how things have progressed with Rossi and McTavish, should the Minnesota Wild and Ducks swap their young RFA centers?
Bill Guerin has a history of making trades with Ducks GM Pat Verbeek, which may make it more likely that they will pull off a trade. However, there are no reports of smoke around the two young centers.
The Wild have never felt committed to Rossi, despite his production. They haven’t extended him after a breakout season in which he set his career highs in goals, assists, and points. Rossi had 60 goals last year, setting a standard before his age-24 season. With the cap rising, it seems like common sense to give a homegrown center a long-term extension.
That doesn’t paint the whole picture, though. The Wild put Rossi on the fourth line in the playoffs. While he was effective in that role, he was understandably frustrated with his deployment.
The Wild appear to believe Rossi is too small to be a top-6 center. At 5-foot-9, they don’t seem to think that he has the frame and grit to make an impact in the playoffs.
While there are many small impact players in the league, the Wild remain steadfast in not signing Rossi to the dollar amount he wants. The two sides continue to negotiate, but recent reporting suggests that the Wild don’t want to go over $5 million on a new deal for Rossi.
McTavish had 52 points in 76 games last season, similar to Rossi’s production. Both players have offensive potential and playmaking ability. Rossi plays a 200-foot game and is a little more responsible defensively. However, McTavish is a year and a half younger and is 6-foot-1, 220 lbs.
So, the Wild and Ducks must account for offer sheets, and Rossi and McTavish are at a standstill with their teams. Do these two teams want to swap their young centers?
Based on Rossi’s deployment and the way the Wild have used him in the past, the Wild probably would be willing to swap players without additional compensation, a classic hockey trade. The Ducks need help now, and a more established and prolific scorer in Rossi could entice them to move the younger and larger McTavish.
The Ducks emphasized size in this year’s draft, taking 6-foot-5 Roger McQueen 10th overall. Leo Carlsson is 6-foot-1 and their top-line center. Therefore, having a smaller center in Rossi wouldn’t hurt them in the long term.
I think the Wild would be happy to move on from Rossi if it meant acquiring a player like McTavish. He could fill their second-line center spot and potentially play on their top line alongside Kirill Kaprizov. The Wild also added some bulk this offseason with Vladimir Tarasenko and Nico Sturm, who are 6-foot-1 and 6-foot-3, respectively. It’s clear the Wild are making size a priority, and Rossi doesn’t fit that mold.
There have been no reported talks between the two teams. Still, a swap could make sense for both sides, and Bill Guerin would likely be eager to make it happen.
All stats and data via HockeyDB and Cap Wages unless otherwise noted.
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