Subscribe
Follow Us
The Minnesota Wild have a big decision to make on pending restricted free agent Marco Rossi this summer — and it looks like general manager Bill Guerin could go the trade route rather than extending the Austrian.
As The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta reported on Thursday, the front office isn't too keen on meeting Rossi's contract demands.
“The Minnesota Wild are exploring the trade market, once again, on young center Marco Rossi, who is eligible to become a restricted free agent July 1,” wrote Pagnotta.
“It appears a primary reason as to why the Wild have a willingness to explore the possibility of trading Rossi is due to his contract demands. Rossi is believed to be looking for a deal similar to the seven-year, $49 million contract Matt Boldy inked with the Wild.”
Pagnotta cites Daily Faceoff's Anthony Di Marco, who speculated earlier this week that “the Wild are not interested in signing Rossi to that large a contract at this time.”
A seven-year contract with a $7 million AAV is certainly steep for a player who not only has played just two full NHL seasons, but was demoted to the fourth line during a six-game Round 1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Still, Rossi was one of the team's best forwards in the regular season, especially in the long-term absences of Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek. The 23-year-old played a full 82-game slate for the second straight year, while managing 24 goals and 60 points in that span.
Rossi has seen his name swirling in trade rumors for almost a year now; back in June of 2024, Guerin began evaluating trade interest in the young forward. If Pagnotta and Di Marco's reporting is accurate, it looks like those discussions are continuing ahead of free agency opening on July 1.
Guerin's main focus is paying Kirill Kaprizov this summer
Article Continues Below
Losing Rossi wouldn't be ideal for a Wild team that may already watch pending unrestricted free agents Gustav Nyquist and Marcus Johansson walk this summer. But if Guerin can get a good return for the undersized forward, it might make sense.
While figuring out Rossi's future is a top priority for the front office this offseason, it isn't the top priority. That would be locking up Kaprizov, who has emerged into a true superstar and one of the premier players in the league.
Kaprizov can sign an extension as soon as July 1; his contract expires after the 2025-26 campaign. He's the engine on this Minnesota roster, and Guerin made it clear he's willing to do whatever it takes to get the Russian extended.
There's only so much money to go around, and fellow forward Mats Zuccarello, along with starting goaltender Filip Gustavsson, will also need new contracts after next year.
As Pagnotta reports, there are several teams with varying degrees of interest in Rossi, “including the Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks, Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers.”
The Philadelphia Flyers have also reached out regarding the center, but declined to engage further after hearing his contract ask, per Di Marco.
It'll be interesting to see if the Wild will be able to find a number that works for both player and club, or if Rossi will instead be shipped out of the State of Hockey this summer.
