All Those Marco Rossi Rumors
Michael Russo of The Athletic: Yes, the Marco Rossi rumors will only keep intensifying from here on out. Bill Guerin knows this given what has leaked out in Philadelphia and other locations. Anyway, the one thing is clear is that an impasse is present. Neither side is close to making a deal at this time.
Keep in mind, anything can happen between now and July 1st. Rossi is unhappy as he played 11:08 a game in the playoffs. That is not exactly encouraging. The 23-year-old put up 60 points last season in what was a total breakout. People forget that Rossi was almost a 20-20 player in his rookie campaign. There is a trajectory. Combine that with the increasing salary cap and an early impasse almost felt inevitable.
Minnesota likes $5 million over five years and maybe a hair more with a bridge deal. Rossi believes he is worth more. Salary arbitration is not an option either. There are the Matt Boldy comparisons too. Boldy agreed to a seven-year extension two seasons ago at $7 million AAV. Now, what happens next?
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What If Marco Rossi Was Traded?
Michael Russo of The Athletic: Naturally, if a deal cannot be reached. Could Bill Guerin find a deal that he likes? That answer is probably a yes. It does seem after what happened in the playoffs, Rossi and his agent feel like pay me or trade me at this point. Reality dictates that the latter very well could be on the docket.
Options will be out there if a move is made. Brock Nelson is out (staying with Colorado). However, Sam Bennett, John Tavares, Claude Giroux, and several other veterans are expected to be on the free agency market. Ian Pulver (Rossi’s agent) floated the idea of shopping for offer sheets. There is a reason why Rossi is at or near the top of most trade boards.
Does that mean Bill Guerin is under pressure here? Absolutely! Minnesota has had so few centers pan out. Think back to Mikko Koivu, Joel Eriksson Ek, and now Rossi. That’s an awfully short list for 25 years of existence. Vancouver, Philadelphia, and Buffalo probably have made offers or talked already. After that, Utah and Calgary are intriguing but Winnipeg could make some sense the longer this goes.
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