Marco Rossi Secures His Future with the Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild have reached an agreement with restricted free agent Marco Rossi, signing a three-year, $15 million contract, according to sources close to the NHL. This agreement ends months of speculation about the center’s future with the team.
The contract has an impact on the salary cap of $5 million. Rossi, 23, completed his entry-level contract after being selected ninth overall by the Wild in 2020.
Rossi is coming off his best season in the NHL, with 24 goals and 36 assists in 82 games. His 60 points represented a 20-point improvement over the 2023-24 season, when Rossi finished sixth in the voting for the NHL’s Rookie of the Year.
Last season, Rossi was the second-highest scorer on the Wild, behind Matt Boldy (73) and third in goals, behind Boldy (27) and Kirill Kaprizov (25). However, the young center’s future with Minnesota remained uncertain as he became a restricted free agent this summer.
Rossi’s name was mentioned in trade rumors around last season’s deadline and in the preseason, as the Wild were reportedly not convinced to make a long-term commitment to him for the salary Rossi was requesting.
Rossi didn’t have much leverage as a restricted free agent. Minnesota general manager Bill Guerin said he would match any offer Rossi signed. While extending negotiations into training camp was a possibility, the sides agreed to a three-year bridge contract for the free agent.
The Wild finished fourth in the Central Division last season with 97 points, losing in six games against the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
The next step for Guerin, who is also the general manager of the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team for 2026, is to try to extend Kaprizov, his 28-year-old star, who is entering the final year of his contract in Minnesota.
