Wild Secure Marco Rossi with $15M Deal—But Is This Just the Beginning of a Bigger Power Play?

In the swirling storms of this offseason, where debates over Marco Rossi’s true worth to the Minnesota Wild raged loud and long, a resolution finally surfaced like a beacon on Friday. The 23-year-old center, whose grit and growth have captured the team’s—and many fans’—hearts, inked a three-year deal worth $15 million, locking in his place through the 2027-28 campaign. Now, this contract layers in incremental raises—$4 million next season, then $5 million, and finally $6 million—setting a clear financial path that hints at future moves if talks resume. No no-trade clause for Rossi just yet, but the Wild’s commitment is undeniable, especially after general manager Bill Guerin declared he’d match any offer sheet, though none emerged. Rossi’s offseason has been all about preparation and proof—bulking up, sharpening his faceoffs, even training with Hall of Famer Joe Thornton—signaling a man ready to step up rather than hold back. Rejected offers, strategic negotiations, a brush with playoff disappointment, and the looming question of his role all paint a vivid picture of a player and team carefully navigating ambition and reality. The puzzle pieces for next season suggest Rossi will be a key top-six presence, flanked perhaps by Matt Boldy and newcomer Vladimir Tarasenko. It’s a fresh chapter for a player whose journey—from overcoming illness to skipping personal milestones for team devotion—embodies dedication. This isn’t just about dollars; it’s about purpose, pride, and where Rossi fits in the Wild’s roadmap ahead. LEARN MORE

ST. PAUL, Minn. — After a long offseason of disputed opinions over Marco Rossi’s value, the Minnesota Wild and their final restricted free agent came to a compromise Friday, with the 23-year-old center signing a three-year, $15 million contract that extends through the 2027-2028 season.

Rossi will be paid $4 million next season, $5 million in 2026-27 and $6 million in 2027-28. That means that if Rossi’s contract isn’t extended in the summer of 2027 or after the 2027-28 season, his qualifying offer heading into the season preceding unrestricted free agency is $6 million.

Rossi does not have no-trade protection in the contract, as he is not yet eligible.

Rossi, who had no arbitration rights this offseason, had only one other option besides holding out, and that was signing an offer sheet with another team. President of hockey operations and general manager Bill Guerin vowed on July 1 that he would match any offer sheet. None came to fruition.

But Guerin also added, “We have a structure in our pay that we have him slotted in at a certain level, and that’s just the way we’re doing our business. This is nothing personal. We want him back, and we’ll hopefully get to a resolution sooner than later.”

Rossi had no interest in a contract dispute that would keep him from arriving to training camp on time. If you’ve paid attention to his social media, he has bulked up significantly this offseason with countless hours in the gym and climbing the mountains of Austria. He also has been working on his faceoffs, at one point training with recently elected Hall of Famer Joe Thornton.

Rossi was a top-six center for Minnesota last season and scored a career-high 24 goals and 60 points after making the all-rookie team the year before with 21 goals and 40 points. Last winter, he rejected a five-year, $25 million extension offer from the Wild, according to league sources. The comparables were centers like Dylan Strome, who signed for five years and $25 million in 2023, and Anton Lundell. who signed for six years and $30 million in 2024.

here’s 5 and a half minutes of our favorite Marco Rossi goals pic.twitter.com/mXvNJ9A3Wz

— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) August 22, 2025

Rossi countered with a short-term bridge at a higher AAV than the $5 million per year the sides finally settled upon. The Wild didn’t counter until they offered a bridge deal at an AAV lower than $5 million in June. That was rejected, with Rossi’s camp feeling their position, especially on a long-term deal, was strengthened by recent contracts to Logan Stankoven (eight years, $6 million AAV, signed in July), Matthew Coronato (seven years, $6.5 million AAV, signed in May), JJ Peterka (five years, $7.7 million AAV, signed in June) and Matthew Knies (six years, $7.75 million AAV, signed in June).

Rossi, picked at No. 9 in the 2020 draft, is one of the few drafted-and-developed center success stories in franchise history. He was the team’s second-leading scorer last season — his second full year in the NHL and the second in a row in which he played all 82 games.

In the playoffs, Rossi was demoted to the fourth line late in Game 1 against the Vegas Golden Knights, and he remained there for the rest of the series — a six-game loss for the team’s eighth first-round exit in 10 years. He scored twice in the playoffs — more than 15 teammates — despite the third-fewest minutes on the team. Guerin considered trading Rossi throughout June, but the only offers he got were for futures, including mid-to-late first-rounders and roster players he had no interest in. Guerin refused all those offers as he did not want to make his team worse. He wanted a center or winger back who could bring similar production.

Rossi called his fourth-line usage in the playoffs “very disappointing” and said he had an “honest” talk with coach John Hynes at their exit meetings. Guerin said later that he liked Rossi and wasn’t “dying” to trade him.

Guerin said coming into the summer that he hoped to upgrade the center position and get “help” for Joel Eriksson Ek. Losing Rossi would have been the opposite of that. The Wild did also sign Nico Sturm, a solid penalty killer and faceoff specialist, to a two-year, $2 million-per-year contract. They also have touted prospect Danila Yurov signed and ready to join the club and Ryan Hartman as a middle-six center.

Rossi has done pretty much everything the Wild have asked since he was drafted. He overcame a lost year due to COVID-19 and the heart condition myocarditis. He stayed in Minnesota two summers ago, even skipping his sister’s wedding in Austria to commit to training with the team’s staff and players. Last summer, he returned early and skipped Austria’s failed attempt to qualify for the Olympics. He also had a good attitude and work ethic after getting sent to AHL Iowa in his first season.

But Rossi is also a proud player, and the money didn’t seem like the only thing up for debate this offseason. It was about what his role might be going forward on the team, and fourth-line minutes during the playoffs weren’t a good sign on that front.

However, when you look at the Wild’s roster and his new contract, it’s hard to see how he’s not in the top six to start next season — perhaps with Matt Boldy and offseason acquisition Vladimir Tarasenko on his wings.

(Photo: Dan Hamilton / Imagn Images)