Marco Rossi Can Prove the Doubters Wrong… But Does It Matter? – Minnesota Wild

34 years after his Austrian countryman staved it off, Judgement Day has finally arrived for Marco Rossi. After completing two 82-game campaigns in a row, piling up 45 goals and 100 points in the process, Rossi has won much of the State of Hockey over with his play.

For good reason: He’s as responsible as anyone on the Minnesota Wild for them getting into the playoffs.

We can already count six standings points that came directly off his stick. He scored two overtime winners (against Detroit on February 22 and against Dallas on April 6) and forced overtime with another four goals. There are plenty more big third-period/overtime goals for which Rossi also notched the primary assist. 

All that’s true, but it hasn’t quite shaken off the remainder of his detractors, and the upcoming series against the Vegas Golden Knights is tailor-made to confirm their biases. Vegas’ roster weighs an average of 204 pounds, the third-most in the NHL among teams that made the playoffs. The eight blueliners on their roster average out to be 6-foot-3.5 and 212.5 pounds. They’re the definition of the big, tough “playoff-style” team.

Meanwhile, Rossi’s just a lil’ guy! He’s listed at 5-foot-9 and 183 pounds. How will he thrive against a blue line with half a foot and 30 pounds on him? That has been the question all along with Rossi’s detractors, which means the center’s first postseason will be a referendum on his ability to be part of a winning team. Specifically, the Wild.

Why is that the case when it wasn’t for, say, Kirill Kaprizov’s first postseason (two goals, three points in seven games in 2021) or Matt Boldy’s (one goal, one point in six games in 2022)? Because the detractors aren’t just fans in the stands. They’re seemingly coming from inside the house. 

Speaking about the style of team he wants on Dan Barreiro’s KFAN show on April 11, general manager Bill Guerin said, “I don’t wanna just grind games out. You need skill. You need talent, you need stars. You need these guys. … I want tons of skill. … If you have a lot of skill in your lineup and you have a high, high compete level, then you’ve got something.

“I don’t love soft skill,” Guerin continued. “Kirill, to me, is that. He’s not soft skill at all. He is a high-compete, high-skill guy. Like [Mats] Zuccarello — high compete, high-skill. [Joel Eriksson] Ek isn’t as skilled as Kirill, but he is skilled, and he’s high-compete. Same with Boldy, and he’s learning how to get his compete to another level, and not just rely on his skill.” 

You can’t name all 23 guys on the roster in a radio interview, of course, and no one is going to hear that and think Wow, Guerin must think Freddy Gaudreau and Brock Faber have soft skill. But Rossi was second on the team in points and third in goals, and he evades mention by the GM when listing guys who don’t have “soft skill”? Considering the history of trade rumors surrounding Rossi, whether or not Guerin meant to omit him, it certainly feels pointed.

Of course, those aren’t going away, and the speculation will only grow if he doesn’t score this series. A low output for him will confirm everything his detractors believe. Beyond that, this series may be the last impression of him before an offseason where he’s an RFA due for a major raise. Fair or not, Rossi will be judged by what he does in the series to a greater degree than any player.

Unless, of course, the determination of Rossi’s future can only go one way.

Confirmation bias doesn’t just confirm the things you already believe. It also throws out evidence to the contrary. Folks weren’t sold on Rossi’s AHL numbers translating to the NHL two years ago, but then Rossi worked hard and returned to score 21 goals and 39 points as a rookie. There were still people who weren’t sold, and then he came back and scored 24 goals and 60 points.

Is that going to change if Rossi keeps up that production in the playoffs, scoring around two goals and five points in a seven-game series? Or even a bit more? 

Or will his detractors (and/or Guerin?) find a way to convince themselves they were right all along? Maybe Rossi performs well, the Wild (a heavy underdog to Vegas) still lose, and the thought becomes Well, but they still lost in the first round. Or perhaps, Yeah, he got his points, but that was all soft skill.

At this point, if you’re not in on Rossi, it’s hard to know what would convince you to buy stock in “Marco “Goal-O.” He was already one of 30 centers (minimum 300 faceoff wins) with 60-plus points this season. He’s already just one of five centers in team history to accomplish the feat, and the only one to do so before their 25th birthday.

Most teams would call a player like Rossi a building block, and you’d certainly think the Wild are in a “beggars can’t be choosers” situation with centers. But here the Minnesota Wild are, entering a playoff series that is appearing to shape up to become a referendum on Rossi.

Not their best player, Kaprizov. Not Zuccarello, who has three goals and 13 points in 23 games in four playoff series losses. Nor is it a referendum on Boldy and his four points in 12 games. And seemingly not any of the 12 other players who — unlike Rossi — have actually taken part in at least one of the Wild’s first-round flops.

It won’t be surprising to see Rossi succeed during this series. Coming through in big moments, despite being doubted every step of the way, seems to be his MO. But if the team doesn’t see Rossi as indispensable now, then it unfortunately would be shocking for anything he could do in this series to change their minds.