Wild ‘willing to entertain’ offers for 2 key young players

The Wild have wanted to see Rossi take a step for a while now. Minnesota drafted him ninth overall in the 2020 NHL Draft. The Austrian center looked the part of a potential top-six center at the next level. However, it took some time to adapt to the NHL game. In fact, he recorded just one point in his first 21 games.

Rossi made the opening night roster for the Wild in 2023-24. And he showed some of the promise that made him a top-10 selection in the 2020 NHL Draft. The Austrian center scored 21 goals and 40 points while playing all 82 games. Rossi was one of seven Wild players to record 40+ points this year.

The advanced stats show that he could be on the verge of a breakout season. He finished the season with -1.6 offensive goals above replacement. However, his expected offensive goals above replacement was 7.6. If he improves his play on the power play, he could have a big season in 2024-25.

The Wild may be looking to trade Marco Rossi for a couple reasons. First, they could attempt to make a hockey trade and move the young center for an established player. It could also come down to a roster fit situation. Rossi is not a strong defender, and they have a more all-around center in Danila Yurov waiting in the wings.

Filip Gustavsson went backwards

Filip Gustavsson was a gem for the Wild in 2022-23. Statistically, he was one of the best goalies in the league. His performance was on-par with that of Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck in some respects. He recorded a sparkling .931 save percentage and three shutouts for Minnesota last season.

In 2023-24, though, Gustavsson struggled. He matched his three shutouts from a year ago. But his save percentage plummeted from .933 to .899 in 45 games. Looking a bit deeper, the Wild netminder had -5.69 goals saved above average and -7.51 goals saved above expected. In 2022-23, Gustavsson had 30.4 goals saved above average and 24.54 goals saved above expected.

Gustavsson is only 25 years old, so he certainly can get things back on the right track. However, Minnesota has a young goalie in Jesper Wallstedt pushing for a full-time spot. With Marc-Andre Fleury returning for one more season, the Wild have to make room for their goalie of the future.

Filip Gustavsson certainly could be an intriguing option for teams needing goaltending in the summer. What general manager Bill Guerin has up his sleeves remains to be seen. One thing is for certain, though. The Wild are a team fans should keep their eyes on this summer as other clubs make preparations for the 2024-25 NHL season.