One of the interesting wrinkles of this offseason is the recent discussion surrounding a young center for the Minnesota Wild, Marco Rossi.
Who is Marco Rossi and why is he on the trading block?
Rossi is a 23-year-old center for the Minnesota Wild who just completed his second full season in the NHL. The young forward tallied 60 points in 82 games played, a very impressive mark given his age.
Rossi played as the team's top-line center for most of the season when Joel Eriksson Ek was out with injury, but when Eriksson Ek played, Rossi slid down to the 2C spot.
By the end of the season and into the playoffs, the young forward struggled and ended up getting demoted to just a 4th line center role. This, on top with a reported stalling of contract extension discussions between the Wild and Rossi, means Rossi is likely to be dealt this offseason.
Reportedly, Rossi wants a seven-year, $49 million extension ($7m AAV) from Minnesota. They offered him five years for $25 million ($5m AAV), and neither side is willing to budge. This means that the only way for the Wild to recoup any value from Rossi instead of letting him become an unrestricted free agent would be to trade the young forward.
What are the potential risks?
The main reason Minnesota is worried about signing Rossi long-term is because of his size. Rossi is a very small forward, listed at 5'9" and 182lbs, making him a pioneer for his size and skill level. No one at his size has ever had the success and promise that Rossi is reaching.
The NHL is a brutal, unforgiving league, and sometimes the discussion can end at the measurables. Rossi does not have the requisite mass of a top-6 center, and he is and will always be at an elevated risk of injury when his opponents can create more force with their size or their speed, flying around the ice with much bigger frames at upwards of 20+ MPH.
The Wild are worried that a player of his size, despite his skill level, will never flourish in the NHL because he is too small and will not be able to blossom into a full-time NHL star. One can understand their trepidation, given that Rossi is currently blazing the trail (or the ice) for future skilled, undersized centers.
The final verdict: get this man out of Minnesota
The concerns of the Minnesota Wild start to make less sense when you contextualize what Rossi has shown up to this point in his NHL career, and it becomes clear that if Rossi is on the table, the Blues should make a move for the young, budding star.
Rossi played in all 82 games both last season and the season previous, his first two full NHL seasons. He has a clean bill of health up to this point, even at his young age of 23.
The package to acquire Rossi from Minnesota would not take very much at all; the difficulty would come from outbidding other competitors over acquiescing to Minnesota's request. Reportedly, a late first-round pick or a young forward swap is enough for them to move Rossi:
The fit with the St. Louis Blues: like a glove
Rossi would slot in immediately as the Blues' second-line center, which may be their biggest need this offseason. He has shown much potential as a 2C and proven that with good winger play, which the Blues have in spades, he can elevate a line to become a great offensive threat.
Rossi's 60 points do come with several assists for one of the league's best players, Kirill Kaprizov, but this should not serve as a detriment to his skill; Kaprizov had the season he did partially because of Rossi's creative playmaking.
Rossi is a terrific passer as a playmaking center, similar to what Robert Thomas does for the Blues top line. This means that under the tutelage of one of the league's best playmakers, Rossi could really blossom and become a "mini-me" to Thomas.
Finally, Rossi fits in perfectly in the age bracket of Holloway, Broberg, Neighbours, Bolduc, etc. Youth, specifically in the age bracket of the Blues' young core, is something Doug Armstrong identified in his end-of-year press conference that he would look to acquire this offseason. Following this line of thought, Rossi would slot right into the Blues' young, ascending core.
Rossi could catapult this team forward into becoming one of if not the league's best depth offenses, making every line a true offensive threat. His age and playmaking speak for themselves and fit right into what Doug Armstrong and the Blues are trying to build this offseason. Even with his size, the Blues have enough protection around the young forward with large, physical skaters that Rossi could really flourish into one of the league's best young skaters wearing the blue note.