The saga between the Minnesota Wild and forward Marco Rossi remains unresolved, as he is still a restricted free agent with training camp for the 2025-26 NHL season less than a month away.
Rossi, who scored a career-high 24 goals last season with the Wild, is still eligible to receive an offer sheet from another club. But there appears to be progress in negotiations between Rossi and general manager Bill Guerin, according to NHL insider Michael Russo.
Report: Progress Between Marco Rossi and Minnesota Wild on New Contract
According to Russo, there has been “significant progress” between Rossi’s camp and the Wild on a new deal. Rossi just wrapped up his three-year entry-level deal, which came with an $863,333 annual cap hit.
“Hearing there has been significant progress toward a potential Marco Rossi signing by the (Minnesota Wild) in the coming days,” he wrote on X. “As we’ve been reporting, a bridge deal makes the most sense.”
Hearing there has been significant progress toward a potential Marco Rossi signing by the #mnwild in the coming days. As we've been reporting, a bridge deal makes the most sense.
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) August 21, 2025
A native of Feldkirch, Austria, Rossi was selected ninth overall in the 2020 NHL Draft by the Wild and made his NHL debut during the 2021-22 season.
He appeared in all 82 regular-season games in 2023-24, scoring 21 goals with 19 assists. He followed that with a breakout season in 2024-25, posting 24 goals and 36 assists for a career-high 60 points.
In June, Guerin said he was “not dying” to trade Rossi, while his agent, Ian Pulver, acknowledged a difference of opinion on the player’s value.
“There clearly is a difference of opinion with respect to Marco’s value,” Pulver said. “We will continue in good faith to engage the Wild to attempt to reach resolution. We understand that Billy likes Marco, but for how much? And in what role going forward? (That) is the subject of great debate.
“Like the Wild, we believe we have advanced very fair and reasonable contract proposals. What the future holds for Marco and the Wild, only time will tell.”
A new contract for Rossi is not the only item on Guerin’s agenda. Forward Kirill Kaprizov, widely considered the most talented forward in franchise history, has only one season left on his current contract.
The Wild are scheduled to report for training camp Sept. 18. Minnesota will play six exhibition games before opening the regular season: at Winnipeg on Sept. 22; at Dallas on Sept. 24; vs. Dallas on Sept. 26; vs. Chicago on Sept. 29; vs. Winnipeg on Oct. 1; and at Chicago on Oct. 4.
The Wild open the regular season Oct. 9 against the St. Louis Blues.
