2023-05-19 20:26:03
TAMPERE, Finland – Marco Rossi knows very well that his development with the Minnesota Wild has not been a straight line.
However, this is not what will prevent him from achieving his goal.
Rossi, the ninth player selected in the 2020 draft, has every intention of earning a promotion from the minors very soon to earn a spot on the Wild’s roster in time.
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“I don’t want to think about it too much, but there are always ups and downs for a young player,” Rossi said. It’s normal. Once you break through, you’re there. But before that, there is a lot of hard work. How long is it going to take? I don’t know, but I hope it will be next year. I want to have a good summer and I want to be ready because I want to play in Minnesota.
” It’s my aim. »
Rossi (5-foot-9, 182 pounds) has been an explosive forward everywhere he’s been.
The 21-year-old center had 120 points (39 goals, 81 assists) in 58 games with Ottawa of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in his draft year three years ago, then 104 points (34 goals, 70 assists) in 116 games during his two seasons with Iowa in the American Hockey League (AHL).
He had just one point, an assist, in 16 games after breaking through the Wild roster in training camp, but was traded to the AHL, and he didn’t score during a three-game recall at the end of the season.
His Wild teammates, however, know that Rossi is brimming with potential.
“He’s young, quick and talented,” Minnesota defenseman Jacob Middleton said. He skates extremely well to cross the neutral zone. And for a player his age playing in North America, his defensive game is very reliable. Most players who come to the league at a young age know how to play in offensive territory. But he also quickly grasped how to play in his zone. We must pay tribute to him. I believe he will have a great career in the NHL. »
The defensive element has been well under control by Rossi for some time, having been sidelined for much of the 2020-21 season after suffering complications from COVID-19.
He now understands that it’s time for him to let his offensive talent shine through in order to land a full-time position with the Wild.
Video: CHI@MIN: Rossi opens the scoring on reception
“My defense has always been very important to me, because my dad was a defenseman, so I always wanted to play well defensively,” Rossi said. Since I was a kid, he told me that if I play better in my zone, I will spend more time in the opposing zone and have the puck more often. I have always taken this aspect of the game very seriously. I’ve always had that mindset, and I still have it today.
“In the National Hockey League, I was very good in my zone, but I want to be better in offensive territory. »
Rossi hopes representing Austria at the 2023 IIHF World Championship in Finland and Latvia can help his development, and he started his tournament well with three assists in four games.
“100 per cent,” said Rossi, the third-fastest drafted Austrian player in NHL history after Thomas Vanek (fifth overall in 2003 by the Buffalo Sabres) and Mark Kasper (eighth in 2022 by the Detroit Red Wings).
“We play matches against very good countries, especially those who represent powers. There are several NHL players like Mikko Rantanen, and guys like him. We can learn many things from them. It is a great honor to be able to represent your country. Whenever I have the chance to do so, I take it. We are playing against very good players, good prospects, and it is very pleasant to be here. »
This experience on the international scene could also serve as a springboard for him to break into the NHL.
The Wild, which was knocked out of the Stanley Cup playoffs by the Dallas Stars in the first round on April 28, is banking on five players who could become unrestricted free agents, along with five others who could become restricted free agents. The team’s salary cap situation is precarious, and Rossi knows about it.
“I know the situation we’re in right now, but I just want to be a full-time NHL player and make it happen,” Rossi said. I want to be ready from the first game next season. First I have to experience a big summer. I know what I need to improve to establish myself in the NHL. I can’t wait to get started, and I’ll be ready afterwards. »
If he does indeed carve out a position at the start of the season, Rossi will receive a small bonus.
The Wild are one of four teams taking part in the 2023 NHL Global Series in Sweden, a four-day trip where each team will play two games. The other teams present will be the Detroit Red Wings, the Ottawa Senators and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
His family will only be a few hours away by plane to come see him play.
“When I heard the news, I was very happy,” admitted Rossi. It gave me even more motivation to break through the squad, because if I make the team and we go to Sweden, it will almost be a home game for me. For my family, I’m never going to play this close to home. Everyone will come.
“But for that, I have to carve out a job first, and then I can think about it.” »
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