5 Trade Landing Spots for Minnesota Wild Center Marco Rossi amid NHL Rumors

The cost of signing superstar winger Kirill Kaprizov is foremost in the minds of Minnesota Wild management. However, they must also determine whether center Marco Rossi fits into their long-term plans.

Rossi is completing his entry-level contract and lacks arbitration rights. The 23-year-old had a career-best 60-point performance this season, finishing second among Wild scorers. He'll seek a significant raise on his next deal.

However, Rossi struggled down the stretch and spent some time centering Minnesota's fourth line. After the Wild were eliminated from the playoffs, Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic pondered whether they would re-sign or trade the young center.

This isn't the first time Rossi's name has surfaced in the NHL rumor mill. He was the subject of trade chatter earlier in the season until December, when Wild general manager Bill Guerin indicated he wasn't trading the young center. Rossi also wound up on our April 2025 Trade Targets list.

Despite Rossi's inconsistency, his youth and offensive talent would make him an enticing trade target for rival clubs. He could also become an offer-sheet candidate after July 1. Follow along as we look at five potential landing spots and what it might cost each club to acquire him.

Montreal Canadiens

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On May 9, Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette reported that the Canadiens' offseason priority is acquiring a second-line center. They could find a short-term solution via the free-agent market or a long-term one by offering an offer sheet to a restricted free agent like Mason McTavish of the Anaheim Ducks.

This summer's top UFA centers (Colorado's Brock Nelson, Dallas' Matt Duchene, Florida's Sam Bennett and Toronto's John Tavares) could re-sign with their current teams or prefer joining an established contender. As for McTavish, he could be unwilling to sign an offer sheet.

Rossi could be a more viable option for Montreal. The 5'9”, 182-pounder lacks the size they might prefer, but his youth and offensive skills could fit well within the young Canadiens' core. He could also be more receptive to an offer sheet than McTavish.

Failing that, the Canadiens could try to trade for him. They could offer up one of their two first-rounders (16th and 17th overall) in this year's draft, bundled with either a prospect center like Owen Beck or Oliver Kapanen, or forward Kirby Dach if he no longer fits within their long-term plans.

New York Islanders

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On March 6, the New York Islanders traded Brock Nelson to the Colorado Avalanche. They got promising center Calum Ritchie as part of the return, but he's not ready yet to fill the void at the second-line center position.

The Islanders will need a more immediate option to fill that role. Marco Rossi could be among their offseason targets once they finally hire a new general manager.

Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News suggested Rossi and Winnipeg Jets center Gabriel Vilardi as potential offer-sheet targets for the Islanders. He anticipated the cost of signing Vilardi could be something comparable to Matt Coronato's seven-year, $6.5 million AAV contract with the Calgary Flames.

If Rossi isn't interested in an offer sheet, the Islanders could also make a trade offer to the Islanders. They could peddle one of two first-rounders in 2026 as part of a package offer along with a prospect or a veteran center like Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who has a year left on his contract.

Pittsburgh Penguins

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The Athletic's Josh Yohe reported Pittsburgh Penguins management doesn't like to use the word “rebuild”, but he believes that's what they've been doing for over a year. It will continue as they carry on with the inevitable transition from aging stars like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.

Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now believes Marco Rossi would be a good fit with the Penguins. He observed that Malkin is expected to retire when his contract expires at the end of 2025-26, leaving a big hole at the second-line center position.

Kingerski noted that Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas prefers to acquire pending restricted free agents via trades rather than offer sheets. He also pointed out that signing Rossi to an offer sheet worth over $5 million annually could cost the rebuilding Penguins a first and a third-round pick as compensation.

Rossi would still be a costly acquisition for the Penguins. Kingerski projected it could cost them the Rangers' 2026 first-rounder with draft-lottery protection, or one of their top-line wingers. That would mean parting with Bryan Rust or Rickard Rakell.

Philadelphia Flyers

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Having shipped Scott Laughton to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the trade deadline, the Philadelphia Flyers need depth at center. That could become a pressing need if restricted free agent Noah Cates opts for a one-year contract to take him up to unrestricted free-agent eligibility next summer.

Marco Rossi could be on the radar of the rebuilding Flyers. Jonathan Bailey of The Hockey News believes he's just what they need to fill that need, suggesting he'd be a solid linemate alongside young goal-scoring winger Matvei Michkov.

The Flyers could go the offer-sheet route for Rossi. However, it would mean parting with their 2026 first-rounder, which could be a draft-lottery winner if this rebuilding club finishes among the bottom 10 clubs next season.

Bailey noted that the Flyers have plenty of wingers and draft picks they could bundle into a trade proposal for Rossi. He suggested Cates (a Minnesota native), Tyson Foerster or Owen Tippett as trade candidates. They could also part with one of their three first-rounders in this year's draft.

Vancouver Canucks

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The Vancouver Canucks are coming off a tumultuous season in which J.T. Miller was traded to the New York Rangers on Jan. 31. That move left them lacking someone to fill the second-line center position behind first-line Elias Pettersson.

During the May 8 episode of the Sekeres and Price podcast, TSN analyst Frank Corrado suggested Marco Rossi as one option to address that issue. They speculated the Canucks could be among the top teams calling the Wild about the 23-year-old center.

Sportsnet's Iain MacIntyre suggested the Canucks could use their 2025 first-round pick (15th overall) as a trade chip to bring immediate help to their roster. While he never mentioned which player the Canucks should pursue, Rossi could be among their trade targets.

Staging a bounce-back performance next season is vital for the Canucks. Team captain Quinn Hughes can become an unrestricted free agent in 2027. They'll want to assure him that they're serious about being a playoff contender to sway him into signing an extension.

2024-25 regular-season stats via NHL.com. Salary and roster info via PuckPedia.