Canucks Rumours
The Minnesota Wild signed their 2nd-line center Marco Rossi on Friday, ending speculation that the 23-year-old lefty was on the trading block and the Vancouver Canucks were one of the front runners in potentially acquiring the Austrian.
Although Wild general manager Bill Guerin had expressed confidence a deal would get done, rumours continued to build this summer that their 9th-overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft might be forced to hold out of training camp and/or ask for a trade.
That concern ends. The Wild aren’t exactly loaded up the middle either, so it made sense for them to give Rossi a three-year deal worth $5-million per season. He’s averaged 50 points over his first two full NHL campaigns.
Center depth remains a concern in for the Canucks. Their top center Elias Pettersson is looking to bounce back from a subpar season in 2024-’25, a performance that went hand-in-hand with the team’s otherwise bizarre and disappointing campaign.
Even should “Petey” return to Petey form, there’s concern about offensive punch below him in the line-up. Czechian pivot Filip Chytil is inked into the two spot at the moment, but he’s been injury prone over his NHL career, never having put up more than 45 points in a season. The former 17th-overall pick of the Rangers in the 2017 Draft came the other way in the January 31st trade that saw J.T. Miller go to New York.
Chytil had two goals and four assists over his 15 games with the Canucks this past season.
Aatu Raty and Teddy Blueger are the other likely pivots, but training camp this September could open eyes to other possibilities. 25-year-olds Nils Aman and Linus Karlsson will be in on the competition.
The available UFA list, never very deep up the middle this off-season to begin with, features Robby Fabbri at the top of it, not what’s needed, and Jack Roslovic just below him. Almost been there, done that.
The Canucks will continue to scan the marketplace while hoping training camp proves to be enlightening.
Earlier Canucks:
— Canucks A Month From Penticton
