The old saying goes when something is broken to try turning it off and turning it back on again, and that seems to be the analogy best used to describe the Nashville Predators for the 2025 NHL offseason.
Besides just keeping your fingers crossed that the same group of players are not going to all have horrible individual seasons at the same time again, the Predators have to get creative this offseason if they're going to avoid a second-straight year of being a top lottery contender.
One player that is gaining buzz for the offseason is 23-year-old center Marco Rossi of the Minnesota Wild, a player that has a bright future and set to become a restricted free agent in the upcoming offseason.
Rossi and the Nashville Predators would be a great fit for both sides
It's well-noted that the Predators lack offensive depth and pop at the center position. If they run it back with the same group of centers, they can probably expect a similar fate as last season toiling away near the bottom half of the NHL standings.
Rossi is a player the Predators just absolutely keep on their radar and make a strong move for if the opportunity presents itself. First and foremost, the Wild are still reportedly trying to negotiate a new deal for Rossi before he hits free agency. The gap between the two sides is said to be large, even as much as $2 million apart in per year money.
Since Rossi is a restricted free agent, an offer sheet will be required unless a team trades for him and signs him before he becomes a free agent. If you offer sheet Rossi, you're talking about a lot of draft pick compensation that makes the gamble extremely high for the Predators.
The only way forward for the Predators is pursuing a trade for Rossi, as I don't see them willing to get into the offer sheet game and risking their draft capital. However, if you do offer sheet Rossi, I don't see the Wild matching it. They seem to be ready to move on from the former 9th-overall draft pick from 2020 who just posted a 60-point season, but saw just over 11 minutes of ice time in six playoff games.
The Predators have three first round draft picks in this year's NHL draft, so they could dangle on of those out there in a potential trade offer for Rossi. I wouldn't offer the 5th-overall pick, however.
Rossi does fit what the Predators need right now, which is to get younger, faster and build middle-six center depth. Rossi doesn't immediately answer your top line center need, but who's to say he can't develop into one in the future. He's young and has a lot of upside.
There's going to be a lot of suitors for Rossi so the probability of the Predators winning the sweepstakes with a division rival willing trade Rossi to them is low. The Philadelphia Flyers originally appeared to be the top contender for Rossi, but now the asking price could be too high for the Flyers' liking.
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period has reported that Rossi's camp is asking for in the neighborhood of seven years, $7 million AAV. A lot of term, but with the salary cap rising a lot in the coming years, the AAV doesn't bother me at all. It's the price that young centers are going to ask for.
Is this a fantasy to think the Predators could do business for the Wild's young center?
With so many interested trade partners, I just don't see Minnesota Wild General Manager Bill Guerin doing business with division rival Nashville. Sorry and I hope I'm wrong because I actually think Rossi would be an awesome fit for what the Predators are looking for and having three first-round picks and Jonathan Marchessault to dangle out there gives them trade options.
So to wrap this up, yes I would part ways with one of the 2025 first-round picks, not No.5, and Marchessault to get Rossi in a Nashville Predators sweater. Would that be enough to do business with a divisional rival? Maybe.
The likelihood of hitting on a draft pick outside the top-20 drops like a sack of potatoes and Marchessault has already hinted at wanting out of Nashville after just one year. We already have an idea of how good Rossi can be with plenty more time to peak into something bigger, like a top-six center.
Pull the trigger if you can make it happen. It would change my outlook drastically going into 2025-26 and the long-term rebuild plan for the Predators if they could land Rossi. Here's the trade pitch.
This would give you Ryan O'Reilly, Fedor Svechkov, Marco Rossi, Michael McCarron and Colton Sissons as your five primary centers. I'd put Rossi on the second line, O'Reilly keeps the top line status intitially, and Svechkov gets some pressure taken off him on the third line.
And the Predators have over $17 million in projected cap space to easily re-sign Rossi and give him the money he's seeking and some long-term stability. Seven years is long for a player, but the young man has back-to-back 82-game seasons with exactly 100 points to show for it over those two years. Not shabby at all.
Suddenly Nashville has two dynamic young centers to build around for the future. Hey, a guy can dream can't he?