The Marco Rossi Saga

Being the talk of the town this summer, it seems as if everyone has said everything there is to say about the Marco Rossi negotiations. For the sake of originality, I will do my best to highlight aspects of Rossi's developing game that I believe go under the radar. Beyond that, I will also attempt to provide the perspectives Rossi himself and Wild management. In doing this, an ideal compromise between the two sides will become clearer, which I will highlight in my conclusion.

How Did We Get Here?

Regardless of who's side you're on, we have seen nothing but promise and improvement from Rossi to this point in his young career.  His rookie season which saw Marco Rossi play every game and finish sixth in Calder voting. His availability became even more crucial in his second season, with key players like Kaprizov & Ek missing over thirty five games each. On the scoresheet, his numbers jumped from 20 goals and 40 points to 24 & 60 in his sophomore season. Off the scoresheet, I noticed his ability to battle for the pucks in the dirty areas, something the 5' 9" Austrian all but avoided in his rookie season.

Additionally, with Joel Eriksson Ek out of the lineup, not only did he exceed with the increase in minutes, he took his spot on the power play. On the Wild's top power play, Ek has mastered the role of a net-front menace, creating chaos for all penalty killers. Being six inches shorter and twenty-five pounds lighter, Marco Rossi had to bring a very different look and style to the role of 'net-front guy'. Using his excellent positioning and hockey IQ, Rossi would frequently pivot from screening the goalie to a back door passing option. This allowed for him to connect with the team's litany of excellent passers (Kaprizov, Zuccarello, Boldy) and create very dangerous chances. Beyond this, he had a knack the first guy to loose pucks or rebounds, and he frequently displayed impressive lower-body strength, proving to be a lot harder to push out of the netminder's way than his height and weight would lead you to assume. 

Not only did his overall numbers and play greatly improve, he proved to be extremely reliable on an injury-riddled team, playing in every possible game in his first two full seasons.

Unfortunately, the season took a turn for the worse come playoff time. It is easy to understand why he "was very disappointed" in how the season ended for both himself and the team as a whole (Russo, The Athletic). Before getting the chance to prove himself, Marco Rossi spent five out of his six games as the fourth line center in his first ever postseason series. While there was some unsuccessful negotiations prior to the postseason, Rossi's demotion in the playoffs was likely seen as a statement of intent (and lack of trust) from Wild management, further complicating contract talks.

In being demoted, it gave known playoff riser Ryan Hartman the chance to move up the lineup, which proved to be the correct decision. Alongside towering wingers Yakov Trenin and Justin Brazeau, the comparatively tiny Austrian was the perfect compliment to round the fourth line out. Allowing his linemates to provide a tough and physical forecheck, Rossi instead focused on driving play with the puck. He tallied two timely goals, and got the best out of his wingers on the offensive side of the game, which had been a tall order for centers throughout the regular season.

Compared to the other centers on the team, it becomes more evident that Rossi did not belong on the team's bottom line. He undoubtedly played better than Frederick Gaudreau, who went without a point and saw his faceoff win percentage drop nearly 10 percentage points (from 48.2% in the regular season to 39.3%, via HockeyReference), while still confusingly slotting in ahead of Rossi in the lineup. Purely based on offensive production, you could also make a case that Rossi out-performed top line center Joel Eriksson Ek. Although the Swede was fantastic in the faceoff circle (53.6% to Rossi's 48.9%) and played his typically responsible and effective 200-foot game, his final stat line of zero goals and three assists was a mere fraction of what his linemates (Kapriov & Boldy) were able to produce. 

Although he showed up on the scoresheet, Marco Rossi had his share of struggles in his first taste of playoff action. He took several untimely penalties, which repeatedly resulted in crushing goals. Additionally, the undersized center struggled with the increase in physicality, and decrease in open ice. These weaknesses in his game really took away from his great response to being moved to the bottom line.

Moving forward, Wild fans can only hope Rossi will have the chance Matt Boldy got to improve his playoff image. After scoring just one goal through his first twelve playoff games (at age 20 and 22) Boldy admitted his play "wasn't what it needed to be." in his first two playoff series. Just two seasons later, Boldy was one of the standout players in the Wild's first round exit, torching the Knights with five goals and seven points in their six game series. While we can't expect Rossi to perform to that standard in his next series, he deserves the shot at redemption Boldy was given.

The Player's Side

Per Michael Russo of The Athletic, the Wild's initial contract offer was a 5 years and $25 million dollars. Rossi's camp countered with a shorter-term deal with a higher AAV, which the Wild allegedly countered with a bridge deal with an AAV under $5 million. While it seems like both sides are more than willing to work towards common ground to get Rossi extended, the Wild's tactics are confusing. With the salary cap increasing $15.5 million over the next three seasons, the Wild will not be low on funds, even with the looming mega-deal that Kirill Kaprizov will inevitably get. Furthermore, the days of the Parise & Suter buyouts are over. What good is the extra $13 million in cap space if the Wild are afraid to use it, especially on home-grown talent that was taken with a lottery pick?

Recently, the bar has been set for a new contract extension for someone of Rossi's caliber. The Calgary Flames were quick to lock up 22-year-old RW Matt Coronato to a seven-year contract with an AAV of $6.5 million. This contract came after his first full season of NHL hockey, in which he put up 23 goals and 47 points. I view this deal as a low risk, high reward type of contract. While he could crash and burn, the contract will last Coronato the rest of his twenties, and a $6.5 million cap hit will be more than reasonable for a second-line caliber winger in the latter half of his deal. 

The only thing that example proves is that the type of money Rossi wants (and the Wild seemingly don't) on his next contract are pretty reasonable. Marco Rossi has a longer track record of production, and he plays a more valuable position than Coronato does. Regardless of term, a talented center asking for a mere $500k/year more than somebody he just outperformed should not have been rejected. Sources have claimed Rossi wants a deal closer to Matt Boldy's $7 million AAV, which is quickly shaping up to be an elite-value contract of it's own. seeing as the salary cap has risen $13 million since Boldy signed his deal, Marco Rossi is a perfect example of what a $6-7 million dollar cap hit will get you in today's NHL.

The Team's Side- My Concerns

Now that I've made the case for keeping Rossi abundantly clear, let's address some factors working against him. The obvious one is size. As mentioned, being 5' 9" and weighing in at 182 lbs. is rather unfavorable in a sport as physical as hockey. While he has done an excellent job navigating the NHL game at his size disadvantage through his first two seasons, it still remains a weak point in his game. I believe this is a large part of the reason for his playoff demotion. While Rossi did refine his puck-battling abilities in year two, you need a certain archetype to succeed in the playoffs. How do you respond to crunching hits? Can you make the right play with the puck, and can you do it in less time than you are afforded in the regular season? As great of a passer as Rossi is, he plays hockey like chess. Using his edgework to buy him time, looking for the most dangerous possible pass, even at the risk of being intercepted. In the playoffs, regardless of skating ability, defenders across the league will insure you have as little time as possible to 'play with the puck', and make a dangerous pass. Rossi's size is already a disadvantage, especially come playoff time, but his play style likely puts him back even further. 

Furthermore, due to the elite wing talent the Wild have, Marco Rossi has never truly shown what he can do by himself. Through his first two seasons, you could chalk all of Marco Rossi's success to riding shotgun with either Kaprizov or Boldy. As a facilitator, Rossi needs to be surrounded with talent to produce the best results. This past season, Marco Rossi put up 56-point pace without Kirill Kaprizov, increasing to 64-point-pace in the half-season that the Russian superstar was healthy and on Rossi's wing. While it's best to surround him with the talent at the Wild's disposal, it appears that Rossi isn't entirely reliant on it.

Due to these factors, a case can be made against the young Center. As talented as Rossi is, he hasn't shown the ability to successfully run a line on his own. Furthermore, he lacks the defensive game and ability to drive play that a true number one center needs. 

Conclusion- What is the Solution?

While he will not be the #1 center the Wild badly need, he will be a fantastic #2 center, even if he caps out as a sixty-point player (a tally which he should surpass as soon as this coming season). The money he is asking for is (very) low-end #1 center money now, but it will be #2 money in the near future. We have everything a player like Marco Rossi needs (wingers with elite finishing & forechecking) to make an extension worth while, and I think we should capitalize on that in spite of his shortcomings.

While the playoffs certainly threw a wrench in the already tense negotiation process, I believe there is still room for compromise. While it looked like he was going to get traded earlier in the summer, a deal never went through. Without a tantalizing enough return package, it has become clear that the two sides will need to reach a compromise on a new contract. With the Wild appearing unready to commit to Rossi, and the Austrian likely wanting to bet on himself, I believe the contract will be a short-term deal.  I think the parties will come to terms on a two-year contract with an AAV of $5.5 - $6 million, rather late into the offseason. While I personally believe Marco Rossi is worth up to $1 million more, the Wild have shown what they believe Rossi's worth to be, and the Austrian unfortunately holds little negotiating power as an RFA. I think he will be eager to prove he is worth more over the next two seasons, and a strong 2025-2026 for Rossi (coupled with continued great attitude and commitment to the team in spite of a troubling summer) could see Wild brass more willing to fork over the big bucks when negotiating for Rossi's next contract. 

While Marco Rossi is not the perfect player, he belongs on the Wild's top six for years to come. In his first two seasons, he has already proved many doubters and detractors wrong, and he has earned another chance to do so in a Wild sweater. Although it may not be either side's first choice, my best guess is that a two year, $12 million dollar contract is in the cards for Marco Rossi and the Minnesota Wild.