With the NHL offseason heating up, the Philadelphia Flyers have reportedly set their sights on an intriguing target: 23-year-old Minnesota Wild center Marco Rossi.
The former ninth overall pick in 2020 is set to become a restricted free agent on July 1, but it is now believe his time in Minnesota may be coming to an end—and the Flyers could be ready to make a move.
Rossi is coming off an impressive season, tallying 60 points (24 goals, 36 assists) in 82 regular season games for the Wild, along with four points in six playoff appearances. It was the kind of year that validated the promise he’s shown since his draft year and finally gave him the extended NHL role he’s long been working toward.
And yet, his future in Minnesota is surprisingly murky.
“I don't know; we'll see,” Rossi told reporters in April when asked about re-signing with the Wild. That uncertainty has triggered speculation, and league sources believe the situation may be coming to a head sooner than expected.
“At this point, based on conversations I’ve had, I really don’t see him back with the Wild,” one NHL source told RG.
The disconnect, it seems, may not be performance-related. Instead, it may reflect a broader misalignment between Rossi and Wild GM Bill Guerin’s vision for the team.
“For whatever reason—I think maybe he just doesn’t fit the [Guerin] mold—there doesn’t seem to be a fit there in Minnesota,” the source noted. “Whatever it is, there’s a market for him right now. I think some teams see him as a real middle-six guy with a lot of upside. He may not be as physical as you’d like, but the skill is there.”
That market reportedly includes the Flyers, who are entering the next phase of their rebuild under GM Danny Brière and newly appointed head coach Rick Tocchet.
Now that the Flyers are looking to start adding instead of subtracting, a player like Rossi fits the bill. He’s young, skilled, and still has room to grow. Most importantly, he can slot into the Flyers’ lineup as a middle-six center with legitimate offensive upside and strong transitional play.
Philadelphia’s center depth remains a long-term question mark. Even with Noah Cates emerging as an effective center on his line with Bobby Brink and Tyson Foerster, and prospects like Jett Luchanko in the pipeline for future use, the Flyers still lack clear-cut offensive drivers down the middle that are NHL-ready. Rossi could fill that gap immediately, offering skill, playmaking, and versatility.
The timing may also be critical. It's been suggested that Guerin is reluctant to let negotiations drag into the offer sheet window. “He’s probably not coming back, so why let it reach the point of an offer sheet possibility?” the source said. “Usually, the draft creates pressure for deals, and with everyone in person next week, I think that really changes everything.”
For the Flyers, the 2025 NHL Draft could provide the perfect setting for a deal—especially if Brière and his staff see Rossi as part of their core moving forward. Whether it’s a trade ahead of July 1 or a rights acquisition that avoids offer sheet drama, the Flyers could be in position to pounce.
A move for Rossi likely wouldn’t come cheap, but for a team on the rise, it would be a clear statement of intent. He’s not a franchise savior, but he doesn’t have to be. What he could be, though, is exactly what the Flyers are missing: a young, controllable, and high-upside center ready to take the next step—just like the rest of this growing team.
