Although his name has been in the rumor mill for a while, trade talk is beginning to heat up surrounding Minnesota Wild center Marco Rossi.
And, according to a new report by James Murphy of RG Media, the Pittsburgh Penguins are one of the teams interested.
As we've detailed in the past, Rossi, 23, is a pending-restricted free agent who should be intriguing to just about every team. The 5-foot-9 center - although a bit undersized - seems to be getting better year over year, as he registered 24 goals and 60 points in his second full NHL season.
However, a diminished role for Minnesota in the playoffs - he went from top-six for much of the regular season to fourth-line center - seems to have been a precursor for the young center to be put on the trade block.
So, it begs the question: Do the Penguins have a realistic shot at landing Rossi?
To be honest, this one is probably going to be tough for Pittsburgh to pull off.
The Wild are in need of center depth - which makes it all the more perplexing that they're trying to deal Rossi - and the Penguins do not have the luxury of young center depth on their NHL roster or in their prospect pool.
If Rossi Is Available, Penguins Should Be CallingIt's safe to say that it will be a very interesting summer for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Their highest-value center prospect at the moment - and the one closest to NHL-ready - is Tristan Broz, who just finished his AHL rookie season with 19 goals and 37 points in 59 games. Although there's a good chance Broz has an NHL future in front of him, he's certainly not a blue-chip prospect.
Realistically, the Wild are going to command at least a first-round pick and a prospect in return. Sure, maybe packaging a prospect like Broz with that New York Rangers' conditional first-round pick makes sense, but other teams allegedly in the mix - the Philadelphia Flyers, Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, and Seattle Kraken - simply have more to offer and can outmatch that return.
And, because of that, the Penguins may be at risk of an overpay. Sure, Rossi is intriguing, but they will not want to give up too many high-value assets in order to acquire him, especially since there is still some degree of uncertainty surrounding him given his falling out of favor in Minnesota.
So, the only type of package that may make some degree of sense is a package centered on one of their veteran wingers in Rickard Rakell or Bryan Rust.
The challenge here is that Minnesota likely will not want to trade Rossi, a 23-year-old center, one-for-one for a winger over the age of 30. Yes, Rakell and Rust are 30-goal scorers with some term - and Minnesota is certainly in win-now mode and needs more offense - but it's rare to see a young center dealt for a veteran winger.
NHL Rumor Roundup: Could The Penguins Pursue Rossi? Noah Cates' Future With The Flyers Uncertain?Speculation about Marco Rossi's future arose following the Minnesota Wild's first-round playoff exit.
So, if there is a package involving Rakell or Rust, there would still likely have to be an asset attached in order to get the deal across the finish line.
All in all, Rossi certainly makes sense for the Penguins, as second-line center Evgeni Malkin is in the final year of his contract and will be 39 next season. Pittsburgh is trying to garner as much young talent as possible, and Rossi is the exact kind of player they should be looking for.
But a trade with the Penguins - more than likely - doesn't make much sense for Minnesota. Never say never, but - because the Penguins lack the "right" assets for a deal - Rossi will likely end up elsewhere if he is moved.
5 RFA Forwards The Penguins Should Pursue This SummerThe Pittsburgh Penguins will certainly be busy this summer, as they are in the market for a new head coach and have 11 picks in the upcoming NHL Draft.
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