Minnesota Wild Restricted Free Agent (RFA) Marco Rossi is still looking for a new contract. Michael Russo van Athletics went through the Worst seats in the house podcast and reported that the two parties have Not negotiated with Rossi’s contract extension Since the start of the free desk. The two parties remain $ 2 million apart, where all signs indicate that they are not close to a new contract.
Rossi is looking for a seven -year -old deal with a value of $ 7 million per season, while GM Bill Guerin and De Wild have offered him a five -year contract of $ 5 million per season. According to Elliote Friedman from SportsnetRossi was not only upset about use on the fourth rule in the play-offs, but he would also like to be the top-line center of a team. De Wild, however, makes a mistake by not signing him for a long -term deal.
Rossi’s outbreak
Rossi comes from a career season in which he absorbs career heights in Doelen (24), Assists (36) and points (60) in 82 games. He showed considerable growth in both his attacking and defensive competition and flourished for most of the season in a second -line center role.
While Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek missed at the same time during the second half of the season, Rossi played first -line minutes and recorded nine points in the 21 games while Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek were both out, and he added two more points when Kaprizov and Erikson Ek were both both inserted in the line -Up VS wins the San Jose Sharks in an 8-7 overtime.
Rossi is still developing his all-round game. Many projections have covered his ceiling as a second -line center, but he can be an first -line center with the right occasion and his underlying analyzes are back. Last season Rossi showed that he is able to become one of the better two -way factors in the competition. According to evolving hockey, he was in the 87th percentile attack and the 71st percentile in defense. His even goals of the strength above replacement (gar) were only more than nine, while his expected goals above replacement (Xgar) were also just above nine. If you take his even defense and Power-Play attack, it was above zero in both GAR and Xgar in those areas.
Compared to his counterpart, Matt Boldy blew him out of the water. Boldy was only arranged in the 46th percentile in attack and 65th in defense with a mix of gar and xgar above and below zero. Boldy, however, produced 73 points in 82 games and surpassed his career height of 69 points in 2023-2024.
Related: Wild’s Boldy & Faber invited to Team USA’s Olympic Orientation Camp
Rossi is very important for the wild. During that difficult piece When Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek were out, Rossi helped the wild stay in the floating (From ‘As Wild’s Tough Stretch continues, the urgency is in: take -away restaurants’ – the athletics, 3/1/2025). He also significantly improves the central depth of the team, because he is able to produce at a high level on the second line. He will be 24 on September 23 and only gets better. If the game plays their cards well, he could become part of the Big Three in Minnesota, alongside Kaprizov and Boldy.
Risk of not signing Rossi in the long term
According to Russo, after the first contract offer of five years was rejected, they offered him a bridge deal with less than $ 5 million per season. Rossi rejected that too. De Wild is determined in offering a contract ranging from two to five years. If Guerin lingers his weapons in a shorter term, he will probably owe Rossi a few million more when his contract ends. Planning with the salary limit to stay up, who knows how much money Rossi will be able to ask when his next deal is?
If the negotiations continue in the training camp, which is pretty likely in the low season, then the result can be a short -term agreement. But if Rossi develops into the player they have drawn up, they will kick themselves because they do not lock him up in the long term. The team takes a lot of risks by offering no more than five years, including the possibility of creating a gap between Rossi and management.
Cap -space and the wild core
De Wild has $ 14 million in cap -space, and Rossi is the only player who still needs a contract for the season. The team has a lot of flexibility to sign him for a $ 7 million deal. Kaprizov is Thanks to a contract extension After this season, when he becomes a UFA, but his next contract is expected to be around $ 14- $ 15 million per season, which is reasonable for a player of his caliber.
Even if De Wild again Zuccarello also a UFA after this season a contract comparable to the sign that he now has, and they have signed Kaprizov for $ 15 million per season and Rossi for $ 7 million per season, the organization would still have $ 5 million in CAP space in 2026-2027.
Michael Russo: Re Kirill Kaprizov extension: I think it wanted, financially they are not far apart, but I think there are some things that have been lost out of season this season; Guerin is waiting for him to return to Minnesota – DFO Rundown (8/13)
– NHL Rumor Report (@nhlrumourreport) August 17, 2025
Minnesota has an aging core. Zuccarello is 37 years old, Ryan Hartman is 30, Jared Spurgeon is 35, Jake Middleton is 29, and even Kaprizov is 28. The time is to be a competition in the Western Conference. With teams such as the Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Vegas Golden Knights, Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche all very competitive, the wild players such as Rossi have to keep in the long term if they want to stay competitive.
The Wild has prospects Riley Heidt, Liam Ohgren and David Jiricek are coming, and defender Zeev Buumum, who made his NHL debut last season in the Play -Offs. The team has young players ready to take over for the veterans. Rossi and Kaprizov lock up in the long term, and with Boldy/Brock Faber also for long-term deals, and then add their top perspectives, plus goalkeepers Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt, and the wild could be competitive for the following five-plussions.
Bill Guerin cannot ruin this
Guerin has full control over the question of whether De Wild will remain a Playoff -Competent in the coming seasons or starts to be buzzing. Rossi must sign the priorities and expand Kaprizov. If he completes those two tasks, he will set up the game well for the future, so Rossi is part of the core of the team for the next decade. It would be a big mistake if they did not sign him for a long -term deal, and they will pay for it.
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