Would Marco Rossi Be A Good Fit For The St. Louis Blues?

[TBone]

Would Marco Rossi be a good fit for the St. Louis Blues?

By Alec Gau
June 3, 2025

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Reportedly, Rossi wants a seven-year, $49 million extension ($7m AAV) from Minnesota. They offered him five years for $25 million ($5m AAV), and neither side is willing to budge. This means that the only way for the Wild to recoup any value from Rossi instead of letting him become an unrestricted free agent would be to trade the young forward.

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The fit with the St. Louis Blues: like a glove

Rossi would slot in immediately as the Blues' second-line center, which may be their biggest need this offseason. He has shown much potential as a 2C and proven that with good winger play, which the Blues have in spades, he can elevate a line to become a great offensive threat.

Rossi's 60 points do come with several assists for one of the league's best players, Kirill Kaprizov, but this should not serve as a detriment to his skill; Kaprizov had the season he did partially because of Rossi's creative playmaking. Rossi is a terrific passer as a playmaking center, similar to what Robert Thomas does for the Blues top line. This means that under the tutelage of one of the league's best playmakers, Rossi could really blossom and become a "mini-me" to Thomas.

Finally, Rossi fits in perfectly in the age bracket of Holloway, Broberg, Neighbours, Bolduc, etc. Youth, specifically in the age bracket of the Blues' young core, is something Doug Armstrong identified in his end-of-year press conference that he would look to acquire this offseason. Following this line of thought, Rossi would slot right into the Blues' young, ascending core.

https://bleedinblue.com/would-marco-ros ... jwvf8s9wnv

[Lone_Ranger]

I can't see how Army can fleece a division rival in a trade. If he does, then they ought to put him in the HOF right now. Rossi would be a great get, but the Blues would have to pay for it for sure. Now if Bolduc is really fools gold, then maybe we can pull it off, but who knows how the Blues brass feels about Bolduc.

[noted]

Who is the last successful NHL center that was 5’9”?

[moose-and-squirrel]

Who is the last successful NHL center that was 5’9”?

yanni gourde?

[noted]

Who is the last successful NHL center that was 5’9”?

yanni gourde?

Ok last successful center 5’9” that played top 6 role?

[Lone_Ranger]

Who is the last successful NHL center that was 5’9”?

yanni gourde?

Ok last successful center 5’9” that played top 6 role?

Bedard's 5'10", like 1 inch is a big deal? Today's game accommodates the smaller player now anyway.

[Frank Underwood]

I was actually going to start this exact same thread a few days ago after seeing an update about his contract impasse with the Wild. But I figured there was no chance the Wild would trade him to a division foe so I never made the post. I like the player, but not sure I’d give him 7/7 either. Guerin seems like a very good GM, so I’m guessing he will get good value for him if he trades him.

[STL fan in MN]

Who is the last successful NHL center that was 5’9”?

yanni gourde?

Ok last successful center 5’9” that played top 6 role?

Tyler Johnson? But TB didn’t win a Cup until Johnson was shifted from C to wing.

In a vacuum, I like Rossi quite a bit. He’s skilled and a great facilitator. A pass first center, which we could really use as we have a lot of shoot first wingers.

But there’s a reason why MIN is looking to trade him. Rossi was demoted to 4C in the playoffs because he was super ineffective once the physicality increased. Part of that could simply be that it was his first playoffs and he’ll learn and get better. But he’s always going to be 5’9”. Size matters, especially in the playoffs. And at C.

The problem here is that the Blues would have to give the Wild some good assets in return and then pay Rossi handsomely.

I have no idea what the writer is talking about though in terms of being forced to make Rossi a UFA. They’d have to not give him a qualifying offer to make him a UFA. That’d be nuts and isn’t happening. Rossi is 23 and has 4 more RFA years left.

Rossi could be someone that signs an offer sheet this summer though. And he and the Wild are pretty far apart currently and Guerin is purposely leaking stuff to the press to try to negotiate publicly. Rossi is a good player but he’s not the sort of player I want to commit $7M x 7 years to as I’m not convinced a 5’9” 2C can lead to a Cup. I’m ok with having 1-2 undersized wingers in a lineup but not at either 1C or 2C. He’s talented but he’d be a gigantic risk to commit that sort of term, money and roster spot to.

[noted]

Who is the last successful NHL center that was 5’9”?

yanni gourde?

Ok last successful center 5’9” that played top 6 role?

Tyler Johnson? But TB didn’t win a Cup until Johnson was shifted from C to wing.

In a vacuum, I like Rossi quite a bit. He’s skilled and a great facilitator. A pass first center, which we could really use as we have a lot of shoot first wingers.

But there’s a reason why MIN is looking to trade him. Rossi was demoted to 4C in the playoffs because he was super ineffective once the physicality increased. Part of that could simply be that it was his first playoffs and he’ll learn and get better. But he’s always going to be 5’9”. Size matters, especially in the playoffs. And at C.

The problem here is that the Blues would have to give the Wild some good assets in return and then pay Rossi handsomely.

I have no idea what the writer is talking about though in terms of being forced to make Rossi a UFA. They’d have to not give him a qualifying offer to make him a UFA. That’d be nuts and isn’t happening. Rossi is 23 and has 4 more RFA years left.

Rossi could be someone that signs an offer sheet this summer though. And he and the Wild are pretty far apart currently and Guerin is purposely leaking stuff to the press to try to negotiate publicly. Rossi is a good player but he’s not the sort of player I want to commit $7M x 7 years to as I’m not convinced a 5’9” 2C can lead to a Cup. I’m ok with having 1-2 undersized wingers in a lineup but not at either 1C or 2C. He’s talented but he’d be a gigantic risk to commit that sort of term, money and roster spot to.

Yes thank you for articulating what I didn’t in my 1 sentence response. He got regulated to 4th line in playoffs. He is a good player but playoff hockey dies not suit him at center. He will probably need to move to wing eventually. And Blues already have too many wingers. (Side note - I do think the Blues should try Holloway at center)

Different commenter above, but I think Bedard eventually gets moved to wing also

Who is the last successful NHL center that was 5’9”?

yanni gourde?

Ok last successful center 5’9” that played top 6 role?

Bedard's 5'10", like 1 inch is a big deal? Today's game accommodates the smaller player now anyway.

[aslord]

Im holding out for Eric Lindros

[BalotelliMassive]

Who is the last successful NHL center that was 5’9”?

yanni gourde?

Ok last successful center 5’9” that played top 6 role?

Brayden Point

[moose-and-squirrel]

Im holding out for Eric Lindros

he could definitely beat up anybody that was 5'9"... because that's all he'd fight

[britishblue]

Its a pass from me.

1. Cost to acquire from a divisional rival will be high
2. Contract will be relatively high
3. Size is a concern especially with respect to the playoffs and how the rest of this team is constructed.

[STL fan in MN]

Who is the last successful NHL center that was 5’9”?

yanni gourde?

Ok last successful center 5’9” that played top 6 role?

Bedard's 5'10", like 1 inch is a big deal? Today's game accommodates the smaller player now anyway.

In what ways has the game accommodated to smaller players? Especially in the playoffs?

And Bedard is a generational talent. So Rossi is both shorter and less skilled. And Bedard is going to have to improve at being a C if he wants to stick at C. His faceoff % this season was 38%. That’s simply unsustainable. And he’s destroyed on the defensive metrics too. Part of that is he’s simply 19 and he’ll get better but the size disadvantage sure doesn’t help and will be a detriment his entire career.

If Rossi had Bedard level skill then this would be a different conversation. But he doesn’t.

[STL fan in MN]

Who is the last successful NHL center that was 5’9”?

yanni gourde?

Ok last successful center 5’9” that played top 6 role?

Brayden Point

He’s 5’11”.

[netboy65]

Daniel Briere