The Minnesota Wild have secured one of their most promising young players for the future, signing center Marco Rossi to a three-year, $15 million contract. The 23-year-old forward agreed to the deal on Friday after a breakout season in which he proved himself as a reliable scorer and an important part of the team’s offense.
Rossi, a first-round draft pick in 2020, put together the best year of his career in the 2024-25 season. He scored 24 goals and added 36 assists, finishing with 60 points. Both totals were career highs. He also became one of Minnesota’s most dangerous weapons on the power play, leading the team with seven goals in that situation.
The young center made his first appearance in the NHL playoffs this past spring. In six games, he contributed two goals and one assist. Even though he was moved to the fourth line late in the series, a decision that left him frustrated, Wild general manager Bill Guerin defended the move by saying it was more about strategy than Rossi’s performance. Guerin explained that playoff hockey often requires line changes to respond to matchups, and that Rossi remained an important contributor.
After the season ended, Rossi made it clear that he wants to play in a bigger role going forward. The Wild’s management agreed, saying they see him as part of their top six forwards. Guerin admitted that Rossi’s scoring slowed down toward the end of last season, but he stressed that the forward’s overall growth and consistency were encouraging.
At 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, Rossi may not be the biggest player on the ice, but he has shown determination and skill that have helped him carve out a strong NHL career so far. Since making his debut in 2022, he has played in 185 games, scoring 45 goals and recording 56 assists. His reliability has also stood out—he has not missed a regular-season game in the past two years, a streak that has now reached 167 consecutive games.
Rossi’s accomplishments extend beyond Minnesota. He recently became just the third Austrian player in NHL history to record a 50-point season, joining Thomas Vanek and Michael Grabner. Vanek, a former Wild player, reached that milestone nine times in his career. For Rossi, joining that list is another sign of the progress he has made since entering the league.
The road to this moment has not been an easy one. Shortly after being drafted ninth overall in 2020, Rossi’s career was put on hold when he suffered serious health complications related to COVID-19. He missed the entire 2020-21 season and had to spend months recovering before he was cleared to play again.
When he returned in 2021-22, Rossi started with Minnesota’s AHL affiliate in Iowa before earning a call-up to the NHL. He made his debut for the Wild on January 6, 2022. Since then, he has slowly built his game, adjusting to the speed and physicality of the league and steadily improving each year.
Guerin praised Rossi for the resilience he has shown throughout his young career, pointing to the challenges he faced and overcame to reach this point. “He’s shown steady progress. He went through a lot as a young player,” Guerin said. “He’s just scratching the surface, and I think this three-year contract really gives him a good runway to be the player he can be.”
For both the Wild and Rossi, the new contract signals belief in what lies ahead. The team is investing in a player who has proven he can handle the demands of the NHL, and Rossi is motivated to take the next step in his career. With his skill, work ethic, and determination, the Wild are hopeful that he will become a cornerstone of their offense for years to come.
