Marco Rossi set his mind to making the NHL and my goodness, did he ever. After a poor showing during his first try at the NHL, Rossi was determined to have a stellar year with the Iowa Wild. Then, at the suggestion of Bill Guerin, Rossi stayed in Minnesota for the off-season. He spent the summer with the Wild’s training staff. He worked on changing his skating stride and putting on muscle. He even, with his sister’s permission, missed her wedding to continue training to achieve his dream.
And it worked. Rossi made the NHL team out of training camp and showed fans that all of the work he put in was worth it. He had a stellar rookie year and was most likely just outside of the final three nominees for the Calder Trophy. At one point, he and fellow rookie Brock Faber were the forward and defenseman who were holding the team together.
This off-season, Rossi is once again working on bettering himself. With one more year left on his ELC, Rossi will be looking to sign a contract extension with the Wild. Possible trade rumors swirled after a disappointing end to the season, but so far, Guerin has chosen to hold onto Rossi. This is a good sign that Guerin still believes in Rossi and his potential. At one point, it seemed almost completely a lock that Rossi would be traded. With his younger age and continued development, there were probably at least a handful of teams willing to trade for him.
Strengths
If he does as good of a job developing this offseason as he did last offseason, Rossi will make a good case for a bridge deal until the salary cap is lifted higher league-wide. Rossi put on 20 pounds of muscle after his first attempt at the NHL and was noticeably more willing to be physical and battle in the corners. This is important because Guerin’s ideal player is physical and gritty, no matter what their size.
Weaknesses
During his 2022-23 season with the Iowa Wild, Rossi played 53 games and had 51 points (16 goals and 35 assists). He obviously was trying his hardest to show that he was not a bust. Then last season, Rossi played all 82 games for the Wild and put up 40 points (21 goals and 19 assists). The Wild originally saw Rossi as more of a goal-scorer, so it will be interesting to watch Rossi’s stats this next season. He may be able to ramp up his point total even more because of his extensive off-season training and a healthier team all around.
The Future for Rossi
Rossi has shown that he is committed to the Minnesota Wild. Now, it’s time for the Wild to show that they are committed to him by signing him to a multi-year contract this season. Rossi’s been through so much since being drafted by the Wild, after COVID-19, myocarditis, and an entire season without any sort of exercise at a crucial time in his development. He has battled back and shown that he is not only physically ready but mentally ready for anything that the NHL can throw at him.
