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  • Where Is the Marco Rossi Offer Sheet?


    Image courtesy of Brad Rempel - Imagn Images
    Tony Abbott

    Back in July, the word on the street was that almost every team in the NHL was looking to get better. The Pittsburgh Penguins were the only real sellers this offseason, with the rest of the league's bottom-feeders holding tight. The Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, and San Jose Sharks decided against selling off talent. Meanwhile, the Utah Mammoth and Anaheim Ducks spent big, bringing in players like JJ Peterka and Chris Kreider.

    This state of affairs leads one to wonder:

    What's with the lack of teams looking to submit an offer sheet to Marco Rossi?

    Rossi, a restricted free agent, is stuck in a stalemate with the Minnesota Wild. On last week's "Worst Seats in the House" podcast, Michael Russo reported that the two sides haven't negotiated since before the start of free agency. We can determine from that nugget that the divide between the two sides remains around $2 million per year apart, and perhaps more.

    If teams are trying to get better, then a top-six center would be a great place to do it. Upgrading at the most important position for the cost of ~$7 million, as well as a first- and third-round pick, is fairly reasonable. There's not a lack of potential suitors, either. 18 teams can put up the draft capital to put an offer sheet on Rossi's table.

    So why haven't they?

    GMs tend to dislike stoking bad blood for no reason, and Bill Guerin has vowed to match any offer sheet. Still, at the same time, he insists there's a price point they don't want to go above. Would Guerin be willing to sign, say, a four-year, $26 to $28 million deal that would walk Rossi up to free agency, committing to a hefty cap hit without buying any UFA years? It doesn't seem like there's any downside in calling Minnesota's bluff.

    This could change at any moment, especially as we inch closer to training camp, but it seems like there's no urgency for these teams that want to improve to actually try to improve. There must be a reason, so let's break down these 18 teams that are able to sign Rossi and try to figure out what the hang-up is.

    Group 1: Not Enough Cap Space

    Boston Bruins, Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets

    These teams are projected to have fewer than $5 million in cap space once the season starts, making it difficult to move enough around to accommodate a budget of $6.5 to $7 million. Among the teams on the list, that's probably most unfortunate for the Bruins.

    Boston has one of the league's best players in David Pastrnak and one of the best goaltenders in Jeremy Swayman. Their roster is built to win now, but their top-six centers consist of Elias Lindholm and Morgan Geekie.

    Rossi showed last year what he can do with an MVP-caliber shooter, and his presence would give the Bruins an Under-25 1-2 punch with James Hagens for the long term. Alas, money's tight.

    Group 2: Too Bad To Risk It

    Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers

    Realistically, these teams aren't making the playoffs next year. Even in the case of a team like Nashville, what's the point of potentially giving away a lottery pick unless you know you can get out of the gutter?

    Dragging an aging, expensive roster into the playoffs doesn't sound that smart.

    Group 3: No Pressing Need

    Columbus Blue Jackets, New Jersey Devils

    It's no surprise to see the Devils here, with Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Dawson Mercer able to play down the middle.

    It's a bit surprising to see the Blue Jackets, but that sounds right. For next season, Sean Monahan and Adam Fantilli don't seem like the best depth, but with top prospect Cayden Lindstrom in the system, the Jackets aren't far from having a young, legit pair of top-six centers. Are they going to want to spend $7 million on what will likely be their third-line center?

    Group 4: Bigger Fish To Fry

    Anaheim Ducks

    The Ducks have Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish... except that they don't. McTavish, like Rossi, is an RFA and needs a new contract.

    Could they use an upgrade at center? Why not? Rossi is currently an upgrade over McTavish and would give them a strong top-nine up the middle. But you probably shouldn't throw offer sheets around when you've got a prominent RFA of your own able to take offers from other teams... including the Wild.

    Group 5: Besties, WTF Are You Doing???

    This leaves us four teams that haven't put in an offer sheet to Rossi, or at least, not to our knowledge. And in all four cases, it's very difficult to understand why.

    The Buffalo Sabres may have three players, Tage Thompson, Joshua Norris, and Ryan McLeod, who can play center. Still, Thompson's defensive abilities and faceoff acumen might suggest a move to wing full-time would be better. It's not like Buffalo doesn't have talented players, but they've never been able to have it coalesce into a real hockey team. A two-way center with skill makes a whole lot of sense, particularly after losing some skill in Peterka this offseason.

    The Calgary Flames' apparent disinterest in Rossi is probably the most confusing in the NHL. Their top two centers, Nazem Kadri and Mikael Backlund, are 35 and 34, respectively. Connor Zary, another RFA this summer, is the same age as Rossi, but scored just a half-point per game. They have zero top-six caliber center prospects. Calgary has $15 million in cap space and a Wild-like allergy to bottoming out, with just one top-five pick (No. 4, 2014, Sam Bennett) in their 45-year existence. It defies understanding.

    This is Year 7 of Steve Yzerman with the Detroit Red Wings. He has zero playoff appearances and has drafted one forward who's better than Rossi. They could use a No. 2 center between Dylan Larkin and Marco Kasper. They fell just short of the playoffs last year. Shouldn't he be feeling some pressure to win? To upgrade down the middle? 

    We wrote about this possibility as free agency opened, but our point still stands: Rossi's a good way for the Utah Mammoth to help themselves and hurt the Wild. They've got just enough cap space to make it happen, they can perfectly slot Rossi between Logan Cooley and Barrett Hayton, and the Mammoth have a coach in André Tourigny who loves and believes in Rossi. It's hard to believe Rossi wouldn't sign on the dotted line to play for him.

    Realistically, there aren't a dozen suitors for Rossi, not at this stage of the offseason. But even now, there are four teams that it feels like a no-brainer to take a flier on Rossi with an offer sheet and see what shakes loose. The Sabres, Flames, Red Wings, and Mammoth should want to take a step next season. So what's the hold-up to getting better? The longer this drags on, the more confusing it gets.

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    10 hours ago, MrCheatachu said:

    Younger and cheaper, then immediately propose a trade that sends a 35 year old Spurgeon with 2 years left in his contract to them for a 33 year old Breadman who's expiring this year?

    New York gains 4 million on the deal and as you say two years from now they can walk away with 7.5 million more.  They get a body for two years, a solid defenseman who can teach the younger players.  At the tend of the day they get something for Panarin that is of some value instead of him walking away at the end of the year for nothing. 

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    On 8/19/2025 at 10:36 PM, MrCheatachu said:

    What CBA are you following that has option years?  You realize these guys play in the NHL right?

    A player option gives the player the right to extend their contract for an additional year, often at a predetermined salary. This key element in contract negotiations and can significantly impact both the player's future earnings and the team's salary cap situation. 

    Here's a more detailed breakdown:

    Player Option:
    A player option is a clause in a contract that allows the player, rather than the team, to decide whether to continue playing under the contract for an additional year. 

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    13 hours ago, Quebec1648 said:

    Rossi has leverage, but it's rather risky. If Rossi sits out and refuses to accept Guerin's offer, Guerin gets nothing and the Wild likely miss the playoffs. Rossi could go to Europe for a year, and Guerin would be left holding the proverbial empty bag. The only way Rossi gets out of Minnesota, is by refusing to sign a contract. Guerin won't like it, but he just might agree to a trade if the alternative is Rossi not playing at all.

    I agree, Rossi does have some leverage, without him who do the Wild have at center: Ek, Hartman, Yurov, and Sturm, and then who if there's an injury, nobody down in Iowa is ready.  BG can't get a decent return in a trade for a 9th overall pick, because like BG other teams don't covet his size, however, how does BG replace his 60 points, he can't.

    One similar situation was when Nashville re-signed Saros, Askarov wanted playing time and wanted out, yet he was still under ELC and team control and was able to be moved.  Or the Rutger McGroarty situation.  Point is that teams don't just get to bully young players and they have no other options, that would make the team look bad and their draft picks would not sign ELC wait the extra 2 years and sign with whoever they want.  If Rossi's camp comes out publicly and says they want a trade out of Minnesota, then the bridge is burnt and BG will get an even lesser return.

    Rossi will sign just before camp, but only 1-2 year.  BG better be careful, if the Wild don't make playoffs this year the pitchforks will be out!

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    1 hour ago, HHF18 said:

    A player option gives the player the right to extend their contract for an additional year, often at a predetermined salary. This key element in contract negotiations and can significantly impact both the player's future earnings and the team's salary cap situation. 

    Here's a more detailed breakdown:

    Player Option:
    A player option is a clause in a contract that allows the player, rather than the team, to decide whether to continue playing under the contract for an additional year. 

    That is what a player option is, but it is not part of the NHL.

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    16 hours ago, ArizonaWildFan said:

    I don't disagree with anyone who makes this statement. But, hypothetically, Rossi holds out, doesn't show up for camp, and doesn't play this season. Who do the Wild have waiting in the wings to replace his production? Who's left out there for RFA's, UFA's, or potential trades that can replace his production? Are the Wild a better team and will they win more games without Rossi in the lineup? I don't think so and that is the leverage that Rossi has.

    This is the leverage that could easily backfire, and one I wouldn't consider leverage. Let's just say that Rossi doesn't show up to camp. Then what? Yurov, especially, benefits from this as he is the likely heir to the 2nd C spot. Hartzy also benefits from this because he can fill it right away while Yurov acclimates. 

    When you give up your position challenging someone to fill it, that's what happens, someone does fill it. Sitting out a year does not help Rossi's cause. He does not get arbitration rights, he does not get QO'd for more, he does not have a case that he was underpaid, and he will have to deal with the ramifications of abandoning his teammates. Plus, his agent gets nothing.

    Nylander did it, but was in a different talent class than Rossi is at this point in time. Some don't believe it, but this is a self implosion of a career. No other GM will trust Rossi, and most won't touch him. If you think that Guerin has been unfair to the player, what do you think he will do when the player has no value. It will essentially be "welcome back to the league" when he's 27. 

    Now, that said, I think Guerin wants to negotiate face to face with him and see what his offseason training has looked like. I don't believe this is a broken relationship, I believe there are some specific things Guerin wants to see. Has Rossi shored up those weaknesses? That's what we'll learn about just before training camp. My suspicion is that he will come in looking quite different, and Guerin will come off his number. 

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    33 minutes ago, 0 Stanley Cups said:

    BG better be careful, if the Wild don't make playoffs this year the pitchforks will be out!

    I think it's second round or sayonara. No more shackles, no excuses, every team has injuries. He either knows what he's doing or he doesn't, this is the year we find out.

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    2 hours ago, HHF18 said:

    A player option gives the player the right to extend their contract for an additional year, often at a predetermined salary. This key element in contract negotiations and can significantly impact both the player's future earnings and the team's salary cap situation. 

    Here's a more detailed breakdown:

    Player Option:
    A player option is a clause in a contract that allows the player, rather than the team, to decide whether to continue playing under the contract for an additional year. 

    NHL hasnt had player options since the 2005 CBA.

    Maybe you're getting confused with arbitration (which Rossi isnt eligible for?) where the arbitrator decides the salary, and then the side that didn't elect to arbitration chooses the term (1 vs. 2 year in length)?

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    14 hours ago, Quebec1648 said:

    Rossi has leverage, but it's rather risky. If Rossi sits out and refuses to accept Guerin's offer, Guerin gets nothing and the Wild likely miss the playoffs. Rossi could go to Europe for a year, and Guerin would be left holding the proverbial empty bag. The only way Rossi gets out of Minnesota, is by refusing to sign a contract. Guerin won't like it, but he just might agree to a trade if the alternative is Rossi not playing at all.

    So, Rossi sits out a year from the NHL and plays in Europe where salaries are about 10% of the N, kind of like the A. Then what? Rossi is Wild property until he's 27. He doesn't get to sit out a year and he's free, we go through the same thing next season where he has, again, next to no leverage, no arb rights, and his value will have diminished in the eyes of every GM in the league. Sure, he doesn't play and the GM is left holding the bag. 

    However, what if the Wild do make the playoffs, the spot he gave up was filled adequately by a combination of Hartman and Yurov, and his value has tanked. Next contract is most likely whatever QO number qualifies him. There will be no negotiation, he can play for that number, try to re-establish himself, and have to pay a locker room price of abandonment from his teammates. In essence, he won a battle but totally lost the war. 

    Wouldn't it be better for him to go out and bet on himself, take a lower number which would still be far higher than anything in Europe or the K and put up numbers that justify he is worth $X. In the long run, he makes more money.

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    9 minutes ago, MrCheatachu said:

    Maybe you're getting confused with arbitration (which Rossi isnt eligible for?) where the arbitrator decides the salary, and then the side that didn't elect to arbitration chooses the term (1 vs. 2 year in length)?

    I thought the team had to choose 1 or 2 years before the arbitration decision. And, the team and player can still be negotiating until the decision comes down.

    Personally, I think he's getting confused with MLB where this is a common contract negotiation tool.

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    Lo and behold, Russo is now saying "there has been significant progress toward a potential Marco Rossi signing by the MNWild."

    I imagine there are some people out there surprised by this?

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    3 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

    I thought the team had to choose 1 or 2 years before the arbitration decision. And, the team and player can still be negotiating until the decision comes down.

    It's been a while since I really dug into the process (I read up on it while I thought it was a path which we could retain Fiala...)

    But it appears that if the player elects arbitration, the team selects 1 vs. 2 years unless the player is 1 year from UFA.  Also, if the arbitrator awards >$4.85M contract, the team can walk away from the contract and the player immediately becomes an UFA.

    https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/what-can-happen-before-and-after-nhl-arbitration-hearings

    Quote

    After The Hearing

    The arbitrator must issue and email the decision to the parties within 48 hours of the end of the hearing.

     

    The contract must be either one or two years long. In a player-elected salary arbitration, the team elects the length, and in a club-elected arbitration, the player chooses the term. If the player is one year away from unrestricted free agency, however, then the award can only be for one season.

    The arbitrator will establish the term, salary, minor-league salary if they decide to include one and the reasons for the decision.

     

    In a player-elected arbitration, if the awarded average annual value is at least $4.85 million, the team can walk away from one year of the contract. If the club walks away from a one-year contract, the player becomes a UFA. On an awarded two-year deal, the team can opt for a one-year contract instead, and the player would be a UFA once it ends. The squad only has 48 hours to notify the parties of that decision.

     

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    2 hours ago, Imyourhuckleberry said:

    Lo and behold, Russo is now saying "there has been significant progress toward a potential Marco Rossi signing by the MNWild."

    I imagine there are some people out there surprised by this?

    At this point, a phone call would be significant progress.

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    3 hours ago, mnfaninnc said:

    Yurov, especially, benefits from this as he is the likely heir to the 2nd C spot. Hartzy also benefits from this because he can fill it right away while Yurov acclimates.

    Yurov is a question mark and unlikely to put up 60+ points. Both he and Hartman could have increased roles without Rossi, but who do you backfill their existing roles with? Both Yurov and definitely Hartman are already expected to be every game players, you have to fill their spots, too.

    The bottom line is that the Wild are not a better team without Rossi. If GMBG is fine with rolling out a lesser team than last season and the fan base is fine with that then wash, rinse, spin... here we go again... struggle to make the playoffs and another first round exit at best.

    Rossi as a 30 year old in the 2031-2032 season making $7M AAV sounds like a steal right now.

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    18 hours ago, ArizonaWildFan said:

    Rossi as a 30 year old in the 2031-2032 season making $7M AAV sounds like a steal right now.

    Things can change over time. Injuries and a lack of trying to get better all play in. There are many examples of athletes getting paid and then taking it easy, and it is especially true with younger players.

    I'm not saying that Rossi is like this. But I am saying that Rossi probably had more he needed to shore up than Boldy and Faber. I have not watched the Wild live in an arena, but I would suspect that away from the camera, there are some things that we don't see and Guerin may not like. Whether it's style or instinct, there is something there. 

     

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    2 hours ago, mnfaninnc said:

    I'm not saying that Rossi is like this. But I am saying that Rossi probably had more he needed to shore up than Boldy and Faber. I have not watched the Wild live in an arena, but I would suspect that away from the camera, there are some things that we don't see and Guerin may not like. Whether it's style or instinct, there is something there. 

    Boldy has driven the scoring for a line. He's not nearly as dependent upon his linemates for offense creation. Rossi might get there, but he reached 60 points because he was playing with Kaprizov for some extended time.

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    On 8/19/2025 at 10:36 PM, MrCheatachu said:

    What CBA are you following that has option years?  You realize these guys play in the NHL right?

    That´s exactly what i meant.

    "The Minnesota Wild have re-signed forward Marco Rossi to a three-year, $15 million bridge contract, carrying a $5 million average annual value and a projected $6 million qualifying offer heading into unrestricted free agency. "

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    18 hours ago, HHF18 said:

    "The Minnesota Wild have re-signed forward Marco Rossi to a three-year, $15 million bridge contract, carrying a $5 million average annual value and a projected $6 million qualifying offer heading into unrestricted free agency. "

    HHF18, I'm trying to understand your point, but am not getting your terminology. Are you considering RFA years as options? And QOing a guy is like fulfilling that option?

    It's not, exactly, how it works but I can see the similarity in it. So, QOing just means that the team has retained the player. The player can, if eligible, seek arbitration or an offersheet from another team, but the QO number is typically not the contract number. In this case, Rossi will have 1 more RFA year left, and the QO is $6m, but he will likely sign an extension for quite a bit more and more years if everything keeps progressing as planned. If the Wild don't QO him at that price (which I think is actually $6.6m), then he walks free into UFA status. 

    In most contracts, an option is put out for a set price, but this doesn't happen in the NHL. There may be some handshake deals that have an option. For instance, I believe Goligoski had one. Hartsy, and Foligno likely had them too. But none of it is official and had a new GM come in during that time, all handshake deals are gone. 

     

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    1 hour ago, mnfaninnc said:

    HHF18, I'm trying to understand your point, but am not getting your terminology. Are you considering RFA years as options? And QOing a guy is like fulfilling that option?

    It's not, exactly, how it works but I can see the similarity in it. So, QOing just means that the team has retained the player. The player can, if eligible, seek arbitration or an offersheet from another team, but the QO number is typically not the contract number. In this case, Rossi will have 1 more RFA year left, and the QO is $6m, but he will likely sign an extension for quite a bit more and more years if everything keeps progressing as planned. If the Wild don't QO him at that price (which I think is actually $6.6m), then he walks free into UFA status. 

    In most contracts, an option is put out for a set price, but this doesn't happen in the NHL. There may be some handshake deals that have an option. For instance, I believe Goligoski had one. Hartsy, and Foligno likely had them too. But none of it is official and had a new GM come in during that time, all handshake deals are gone. 

     

    Yes, I expressed myself incorrectly. I meant what you wrote in the second paragraph.
    For me, the QO "feels" like the option/possibility for Marco - to get on an easier way to UFA, if he wants...

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    On 8/23/2025 at 7:03 AM, mnfaninnc said:

    In this case, Rossi will have 1 more RFA year left, and the QO is $6m, but he will likely sign an extension for quite a bit more and more years if everything keeps progressing as planned. If the Wild don't QO him at that price (which I think is actually $6.6m), then he walks free into UFA status. 

    Not to beat on this dead horse, but for players making >$1M (which Rossi is) the cap hit is the smaller of 1.2*AAV or Most Recent Salary.  Because the contract with Rossi was set up to pay him $5M AAV and $6M in his final year, the QO is going to be $6M regardless (1.2*$5M = $6M).

    By paying him the $6M in the final year of the contract they are telling him that when the contract expires the wild HAVE to offer him at least $6M.  

    If they would have offered him $5M-$5M-$5M his QO would have been $5M because it is the lower of the Most Recent Salary, even thought the AAV of those two structures is the same.

    Now the QO doesnt mean squat.  Assuming they don't see eye-to-eye Rossi will be eligible for Arbitration, which if the club comes in at $6M and Rossi's side roles in with advanced analytics and comps showing he is a $8M player, typically the arbitrator splits the difference.  Both in the value of the QO and the starting point of arbitration, the $6M number in the final year is a big deal for Rossi's side.

    That said, as we saw with Fiala, arbitration is kinda rare in these high end players because it (depending on the clause) will only be a 1 or 2 year contract and you've pissed off the player.  If you arent going to open the wallet for the guy, might as well trade his rights away and get something in return rather than letting him walk to free agency.

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