It's no secret the Vancouver Canucks are looking to be active on the trade and free agent markets early and often this offseason, with a lack of talent at the forward position emerging as the primary concern in the wake of J.T. Miller's departure and Brock Boeser's looming exit.
The Canucks did get center Filip Chytil back from the New York Rangers, but he added another concussion to his lengthy concussion history before the end of the season, casting further doubt over his playing future.
Keeping that in mind, the Canucks probably want - and need - to add another talented center at some point this summer. One such player they already have in mind, according to reports, is a former top-10 draft pick who is still just 23 years old.
According to NHL insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period and NHL Network, the Canucks are one of many teams holding at least a primary interest in discussing a Marco Rossi trade with the Minnesota Wild.
Notably, the only team in direct competition with the Canucks out West, according to Pagnotta, is the Calgary Flames.
The Flames, of course, already have veterans like Nazem Kadri and Mikael Backlund, and they added Morgan Frost in a midseason trade with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Rossi, the ninth overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, is reportedly seeking a seven-year contract with an average annual value in the vicinity of $7 million, and neither the Flyers nor the Wild are currently willing to go there.
Additionally, the Flyers, according to Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff, were not willing to part ways with winger Tyson Foerster or one of their two late first-round picks to acquire Rossi.
If the Canucks can stomach the hefty asking price in contract negotiations, they could very easily swoop in and snatch Rossi up from Minnesota at a minimal cost.
The Canucks currently have $14 million in cap space and own their first- and second-round picks in the next two drafts, making a Rossi deal theirs for the taking if they want it.
Even if the Austrian earns $7 million a year in his contract with the Canucks, Vancouver will still have breathing room left over to try and keep key veterans like Pius Suter or Derek Forbort. But time will tell if the 5-foot-9 Rossi is a player the Canucks truly covet on the trade market.