The Philadelphia Flyers have been heavily linked to Minnesota Wild center Marco Rossi as the team searches for a young, top six center. Unfortunately, it does not look like the Austrian forward will be heading to Philadelphia this summer due to some stiff competition coming from out west.
It’s not just the Flyers that are interested in acquiring Rossi, of course. The Wild are, for some reason, willing to part ways with the former ninth-overall pick and pending restricted free agent, just because they don’t think his 60-point campaign last season is repeatable without Kirill Kaprizov next to him — or something like that. And instead of paying him, they’re going to try and trade him for something that jives more with what Wild general manager Bill Guerin wants his team to look like.
One of those teams trying to pry Rossi from Minnesota is the Vancouver Canucks and they are reportedly hot after him. But what would it actually take for the Wild to hand over the young center? Well, according to a recent article from The Province’s Patrick Johnson, more than we initially thought.
As first reported by The Athletic’s Mike Russo, Postmedia has confirmed the Canucks have tried to pry the young centre away from the Wild in a trade, offering up their 15th overall draft pick in next week’s NHL Entry Draft, plus a player. Whether that player is on the NHL roster or a prospect isn’t currently known. Russo’s reporting suggests that Wild GM Bill Guerin is after an NHL roster player, rather than a prospect.
—Patrick Johnson, The Province
The Canucks have reportedly sent an offer that included their 15th overall selection this year, and a player that is either a prospect or a roster player. That is some package, depending on the player.
It does feel like a pointless exercise trying to guess who the player is that was offered by Vancouver to Minnesota — since it could be as nonconsequential as an AHL depth player, or as substantial as a top-six winger like Conor Garland. But regardless, the sheer fact that the Canucks want to part ways with the 15th overall pick is something that the Flyers most likely can’t match.
Of course, the Wild would rather have assets that help the team right now, so draft picks aren’t great unless they work on another separate trade to then flip that pick into win-now help, which would mean more work for the front office.
Regardless, all of this means is that the Flyers most likely will not be able to realistically match what the Canucks are willing to part ways with. Philadelphia owns the sixth overall pick, but that’s way too expensive for a player still with some question marks. And then after that it’s the 22nd and 31st overall, and even if they pair them together, it gets to that point that the Flyers are just unwilling to do that, specifically for Rossi.
Because, while we can certainly think and look at some statistical evidence that Rossi should be worth two late-first round picks, that doesn’t take into consideration that it is most likely not something the Flyers are willing to do. While previously we thought that the early reports of the Flyers not wanting to start trade discussions surrounding one of those late first rounders or Tyson Foerster, was simply public negotiation and the team hoping that they could get Rossi for less, with the added context of what the Canucks are offering, it puts the Flyers completely out of the running now.
It is obvious that the Flyers possibly fall into the category of NHL front offices that don’t believe Rossi is a bona fide top six center in this league. And maybe they think that Kaprizov carried his production through his sophomore season. And maybe, they would just rather send Bobby Brink and one of their second rounders to Minnesota instead of parting ways with a real asset. Because, Rossi does need a new contract and that is most likely why he isn’t already traded. Some team will need to commit real dollars to him and want him as one of their top centers instead of potentially paying someone else. The Flyers are most likely a team that does not want to do that.
Now, the Flyers will just need to find another way to find a young center that can seamlessly fit into their top six for the next decade. Maybe that’s in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft later this month. Maybe it’s in free agency next summer. Or maybe they’re cooking up a separate trade for an even better center than Marco Rossi.
Only time will tell but we will have to cancel our pre-order of a Rossi jersey in Orange and Black.