Marco Rossi, a restricted free agent (RFA) for the Minnesota Wild, is currently seeking a new contract, but the negotiations have stalled. According to Michael Russo of The Athletic, contract extension discussions between Rossi and the Wild have been stagnant since the beginning of free agency. The primary sticking point appears to be a significant gap in valuation, with the two sides reportedly $2 million apart. Rossi is allegedly seeking a seven-year deal with an annual value of $7 million, while the Wild, led by General Manager Bill Guerin, have countered with a five-year offer at $5 million per season.

Adding to the complexity, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported that Rossi was not pleased with his deployment on the fourth line during the playoffs and has aspirations of becoming a top-line center. Despite these factors, the Wild's hesitancy to commit to a long-term deal with Rossi could be a misstep.

Rossi is coming off a strong season, setting career highs in goals (24), assists (36), and points (60) across 82 games. He demonstrated considerable progress in both his offensive and defensive contributions while primarily playing as the second-line center. Rossi also had a stint on the first line when Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek were out, where he recorded nine points in 21 games. When Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek returned to the lineup, Rossi continued to produce, adding two points in an 8-7 overtime victory against the San Jose Sharks.

While some projections may limit Rossi's potential to that of a second-line center, he possesses the potential to excel as a top-line center if given the opportunity. His underlying analytics support this assertion. Last season, Rossi showcased his ability to develop into one of the league's better two-way forwards. According to Evolving Hockey, he ranked in the 87th percentile in offense and the 71st percentile in defense.

Rossi's previous contract was a 3-year deal with a cap hit of $863,334 per season, which expired at the end of the 2024-25 season.