'Why Not Him?': Leafs GM Urged to Make Bold Trade for 60-Point Center as Rival Team Hesitates
Photo credit: Hockey Patrol
Marco Rossi is having some serious contract issues in Minnesota, and is the perfect candidate to bring to the Maple Leafs if Brad Treliving wants to improve his top-six; and the price is right.
There's been talks this summer about the potential future of Marco Rossi with the Minnesota Wild as the restricted free agent still hasn't signed an extension and it seems the two sides are far apart in negotiations.
Some reports state that Rossi is looking for a Matt Boldy-level deal, and while he certainly has earned it, his demotion to the fourth-line doesn't give fans a lot of faith that he'll be a forefront of the offense this season.
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It's a bit disheartening for a young player to be given such a spotlight then to have the rug yanked from under him when it matters most. For as much as the team says they want to kee him, they sure aren't showing it enough.
There's still no news regarding contract talks, and though Minnesota would love to keep him, the longer this drags on, the worse it's going to get for everyone. So what if the Wild were to cut ties with Rossi?
Sure it's a crazy proposition given he's only 23, coming off a 60-point season and is one of the brightest young stars in the league right now, but when push comes to shove; something eventually has to give.
So it's why the Maple Leafs have the perfect opportunity to deal from their excess and bring aboard Rossi, sign him long-term, and give him the spotlight he deserves.
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Not only does he come in and essentially create a very exciting 1-2 punch with Matias Maccelli, but he could very well push John Tavares to the wing on the second line and create a dynamic trio filled with tons of creativity and scoring potential.
Plus, he doesn't have any issues shooting the puck, and with Toronto at times trying to look for too many passes, adding a shoot-first forward who can also be an elite playmaker is a massive boost; and might be enough to weather the loss of Mitch Marner.
The issue is, he's going to cost A LOT. We aren't talking about Nick Robertson, we're talking at least Ben Danford, and potentially even Easton Cowan.
While it might seem crazy that the team gives up on such a talented prospect like Cowan, Rossi has the potential to be an elite 1/2C in the league.
Toronto would not only need to offer a king's ransom for Rossi but need to open up a lot of cap and roster space for him, so guys like David Kampf, Calle Jarnkrok, Max Domi, and even Oliver Ekman-Larsson or Joseph Woll could be dangled at some point.
Whatever the case is though, Rossi is a transformative player who would not only give the Maple Leafs what they need, but also offer the Wild a chance to reassess things and perhaps throw more money at Kiril Kaprizov to keep him around.
It's a benefit for both teams, so it leads to one simple question:
Why not Marco Rossi?
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