NHL insider drops 'undersized' Marco Rossi truth bomb amid offer sheet rumors

The likelihood of an offer sheet for Minnesota Wild center Marco Rossi is low, insider Frank Seravalli claims.

During an appearance on B/R Open Ice published on July 22, Seravalli dropped a major truth bomb on the Marco Rossi offer sheet rumors, stating the following about the 23-year-old RFA:

“I'm not going to see one. That's the answer. Is, I don't think anyone would be willing to step up and play pay for an undersized center…”

Rossi, who stands at 5’9” and 192 pounds, isn’t the biggest player on the ice. But Rossi has the skills to make up for his lack of stature. Yet, Seravalli doesn’t believe that will be enough for other teams to step in and make life difficult for the Wild.

Seravalli added:

“I don't think they could present any number that would scare off the Minnesota Wild and have to be, you know, a long-term deal, a five-year deal, it probably would have to look like something like nine and a half, $10 million a year…”

$10.5 million is not a realistic number in Seravalli’s estimation. He believes the number is too high for a player who doesn’t figure to be a significant piece of a championship club. He concluded:

“I just don't see anyone stepping up to give Marco Rossi that type of number as an undersized center.”

Seravalli’s assessment is that Marco Rossi is a third-line center at best on a championship-caliber club. While Rossi could step up to a second-line role on a weaker team, he’s not the type of center that contenders will overpay for.

Looking at Marco Rossi’s role in Minnesota Wild lineup

Rossi had a stellar second full season with the Minnesota Wild in 2024-25- Source: Imagn

One of Seravalli’s arguments is that Marco Rossi’s role in the Minnesota Wild’s lineup had diminished as the season went on. At one point, Seravalli noted, Rossi was playing fourth-line minutes.

That’s an interesting situation, considering that Daily Faceoff projects Rossi as the second-line center next season. So, if Rossi is better suited as a 3C on a contending team, then one could argue that Rossi is much more valuable to the Wild than to another team like the Edmonton Oilers or the Florida Panthers.

On a team like the Oilers, Rossi would struggle to keep up with superstars like Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. On the Panthers, Rossi would lag behind Aleksander Barkov and Sam Bennett.

While Rossi’s 24 goals and 60 points last season were excellent for a player in his second full season, he still needs to build a more robust body of work before truly commanding the sort of money he is said to want.

That’s why it makes sense to assume that Rossi and the Wild are the best match for one another at this point. The Wild need a top-six center, and Rossi has a place carved out for him in their lineup.

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Edited by Nestor Quixtan