The Minnesota Wild announced via video on their website that prospects Marco Rossi and Calen Addison have both made the team’s opening night roster. In the video, Wild GM Bill Guerin and Head Coach Dean Evason sit down with each player individually to let them know they’ve made the team, and in Addison’s case, discuss becoming a full-time NHLer. Both players have made their NHL debuts, Addison playing as much as 15 regular season games last season on top of three playoff contests, but now both appear to be on their way to regular NHL roles. Michael Russo of The Athletic also reports that veteran defenseman Andrej Sustr has also made the opening roster.
Russo dove deeper into the team’s decision to keep two of its exciting young players on the roster, speaking with both, who reiterated their excitement at the news. Addison, who was originally a draft pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins, was acquired by the Wild in February of 2020 in the deal that sent forward Jason Zucker to Pittsburgh. After finishing up his junior career in 2019-20 with the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes, Addison turned pro full-time in 2020-21, playing the majority of the season with the Iowa Wild of the AHL, making his NHL debut for Minnesota as well. Last season, Addison continued his AHL development, but appeared in 18 NHL games between the regular and postseason.
Rossi was Minnesota’s first round, ninth-overall selection in the 2020 draft coming off an impressive two-year stint with the Ottawa 67’s of the OHL, which included an incredible 120 points in just 56 games in 2019-20. However, a case of COVID that included long-term symptoms set Rossi back and raised concern that it could affect his development. The young forward was limited to just a single game in 2020-21 while playing in the Swiss league. Rossi would come over to North America for the 2021-22 season, and fears of his long-term hockey ability being set back were soon gone as the then-20-year-old scored 18 goals to go with 35 assists in 63 AHL contests for Iowa.
Now left in a precarious position with $12.7MM in dead cap in 2022-23 (going up to $14.7MM the following two seasons), Minnesota will need to find as much cost-controlled talent as it can get, especially after trading star forward Kevin Fiala. Though Addison and Rossi are largely unproven at this level, if Minnesota wishes to compete like it has the past few seasons, both will have to step up as regular contributors.
Based on the fact that the Wild have no depth I’m not surprised, Both players have earned their spots as well.
The Wild have no depth?
Thank you Anson Carter for that brilliant deduction. Despite the fact that the team routinely ranks as one of the deepest teams in the league by most analytical models across multiple sites and media. But please, do go on.
They have the depth and roster flexibility most teams would kill for. Depth isn’t the issue. They lack the top end talent of other contenders, but have spots open simply due to injuries and the need for inexpensive ELC’s to deal with the dead cap.
At least you’re right enough that both kids EARNED their spots on the opening night roster.
Yup. Depth is not the problem right now. It’s the top end talent. I love Ryan Hartman, but if he’s your 1C you don’t have a 1C and he’s just doing it because you have no one else. You don’t really have an elite defenseman, or maybe even a true top pair, but whoever you are calling your second pair is as good as anybody’s second pair. If Matthew Boldy can take a step up and if Rossi can contribute as a rookie I can see the Wild making a bit of a run. If they don’t, I see Minnesota as an average bubble team. That dead cap is killing them.
They lack top end talent and depth. I pick the Wild 4th In the Central this season, Not sure they’ll make the playoffs based on the Improvement of the Pacific.