The 2018-19 season was a tough one for the Minnesota Wild. With just 83 points, they finished dead last in the Central Division, marking the only time they have missed the playoffs in the last 11 NHL seasons. Unbeknownst at the time, it marked the end of an era as beloved players like Nino Niederreiter, Charlie Coyle, and Mikael Granlund soon started getting traded to regain some draft capital for a roster revamp. The prized possession from their struggles was the ninth overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, the Wild’s highest pick since 2012, which they used to select none other than Marco Rossi.
Perhaps it was the pain that Wild fans endured to get that Rossi pick, or maybe it was just pure impatience. But the small and electric center from Austria was held in such high regard that he was always going to struggle to live up to expectations. A poor performance in 19 NHL games in the 2022-23 season even had a majority of fans ready to give up, but fret no longer, as it seems the anticipation and patience is finally paying off. Marco Rossi has arrived in the NHL.
Rossi’s Long Road to the NHL
It feels like ages since Wild fans watched the projected top-five pick in the draft slowly fall into their lap at number nine. His 5-foot-9 frame likely played a massive role in deterring other teams from selecting him. But anybody who puts up 185 points in 109 games in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) has the potential to be a star no matter what size they are, and being a center only made him more valuable.
Rossi missed a vast majority of his next season due to a life-threatening bout of myocarditis brought on by COVID-19 that had everyone wondering if he would even be able to continue playing hockey at all. Thankfully, he made a full recovery and slid directly onto the roster of the Wild’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliated Iowa Wild, where he posted 53 points in 63 games in a massive developmental season.
By the time the 2022-23 season rolled around, Wild fans were clambering for Rossi to make the NHL lineup. He was extremely productive in the AHL and had obviously made a full recovery, but after leading the league in points during the preseason, he produced just a single point in 19 games and was therefore sent back down to Iowa. This minuscule sample size was enough for many impatient fans to start calling the youngster a bust and open the rumour mill looking for potential trade partners.
Rossi Just Needed More Development Time
The Wild had a strong team in 2022-23, and it made a lot more sense for the long-term development of their prized prospect to give him more time to develop. By dropping him back down to Iowa, Rossi was given more experience in every game situation, and he had another fantastic season, producing 51 points in 53 games. Even with the extra play, it was the following offseason that seems to have really converted his game into a style that is more NHL-ready.
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By staying in Minnesota for the offseason, he was able to work with the Wild’s training staff to examine his NHL experience and learn where he needed to improve. At just 5-foot-9, there was always the chance that Rossi’s style of play would just not translate to the NHL level, but as reported by Michael Russo of The Athletic:
“Since last year’s training camp, Marco Rossi has put on 15 pounds of muscle. This offseason, as part of his decision to spend most of his summer in Minnesota working with the Wild staff, Rossi changed his skating stride.”
from ‘Inside Marco Rossi’s offseason of sacrificing ‘everything’ to be ready to make an impact with Wild,’ The Athletic, Sept. 22, 2023
The team identified Rossi’s physical strength and speed as areas he would need to improve to stick in the NHL, so he dedicated himself to improving in those areas with a ferocity that not many people have. His dedication to his end goal and the mentality that goes along with it are character traits that are not teachable but are fantastic to see in a young man who now looks primed to have a massive 2023-24 season.
Rossi at Another Level This Season
The Wild were strapped for cap space heading into this season due to the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyout penalties reaching the maximums, so it was basically guaranteed that Rossi, still on an entry-level contract, would be given a roster spot. The real question is whether he would be able to hold onto that spot or not. Although we are only nine games into the season, I have no problem saying he is indeed keeping that spot. In fact, I think he will soon push to take spots away from players higher in the lineup.
Related: Minnesota Wild Prospect Report: October’s Top 5 Rankings
For the first few games, Rossi was centering for Marcus Foligno and Freddy Gaudreau, a pair of good players in their own right but not exactly wingers who would be able to take advantage of Rossi’s best assets. While he can certainly shoot, he is not particularly known for being an elite goalscorer and instead uses his hands and hockey IQ to control play, break into the offensive zone and feed an open teammate. Neither Foligno nor Gaudreau are particularly known for their finishing abilities.
None of that really seems to matter, though, as Rossi has already collected three goals (tied for second in the NHL for goals by a rookie) and four points, including a three-game point streak. With Matt Boldy and Gaudreau both out with injuries, Rossi has become one of the Wild’s most consistent and effective players at five-on-five, an important area where the rest of the team is struggling mightily. According to Natural Stat Trick, at five-on-five, he leads the Wild with 2.38 individual expected goals (ixG) and nine individual high-danger chances for (iHDCF), has more shots on net than Kirill Kaprizov or Joel Eriksson Ek, and has the second highest Fenwick for percentage (FF%) at 51.33 percent.
Rossi Only Getting Better
The Wild have been burdened heavily with injuries early in the season. The loss of Jared Spurgeon, Alex Goligoski, Boldy, and Gaudreau have sent the forward lines and defensive pairings into a blender. One thing that has remained consistent throughout the nine games is Rossi’s continuing to collect more ice time. His 13 minutes in game one of the season have climbed to almost 17 minutes in their latest game against the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 29. His altered skating stride has increased his speed, with the new NHL Edge stats clocking him at 21.99 miles per hour (78th percentile). But he didn’t sacrifice any of his other skills to achieve it, meaning he can be effective in just about every situation.
As players return from injury, I am sure the Wild will attempt to return to their originally planned lines for the season. But with Rossi’s determination finally paying off on the ice, it is only a matter of time before we start seeing him moved up in the lineup, especially if there are more injuries. His latest linemates, Foligno and Pat Maroon, offer him some protection with a touch of skill, but I would be very interested to see how much he could produce on the second line with Boldy and Marcus Johansson. Rossi’s skill with Johansson’s speed and Boldy’s shot could prove to be a deadly combination.
Still Room for Some Mistakes
The main thing to remember about Rossi is that he is still only 22 years old, and as a rookie, he is going to make mistakes. Everyone develops at a different pace, and being a center in the NHL is an extremely difficult undertaking, especially when you consider the amount of development time he lost due to his illness. As his efforts continue to turn into points for the Wild, I think fans can safely assume that he is going to turn into that magical player worth that ninth-overall pick, and any thoughts of him being a bust should be promptly thrown out the window.
