Rossi and McDavid Extensions, Leafs on Marner, & More NHL Rumors

In today’s NHL rumors rundown, Marco Rossi has reportedly signed a three-year bridge deal with the Minnesota Wild. Meanwhile, Connor McDavid’s deal is getting closer in Edmonton. How big a role did Nick Suzuki play in getting Patrik Laine on the team, and how significant a role will he potentially play in keeping him in Montreal? Finally, William Nylander and Auston Matthews comment on the trade that sent Mitch Marner to Vegas.

Rossi Signs with the Wild

The Minnesota Wild have re-signed forward Marco Rossi to a three-year, $15 million bridge cont ract , carrying a $5 million average annual value and a projected $6 million qualifying offer heading into unrestricted free agency. The deal follows weeks of speculation, with reports noting trade interest from the Vancouver Canucks and Seattle Kraken.

The deal seemingly puts the uncertainty of Rossi’s future to rest, but it allows the Wild to maintain cost control while keeping trade flexibility.

General manager Bill Guerin has been cautious about committing long-term to Rossi despite his high potential. It will be intriguing to see if trade rumors go away or if speculation continues to surround the forward. He was reportedly dissatisfied with his role last season, and if things don’t start well in 2025-26, this is the kind of deal that other teams might consider taking on.

McDavid Deal Right Around th e Corner?

On Thursday’s edition of “Overdrive,”  TSN’s Jason Strudwick believes that the Connor McDavid contract should get done rather quickly. Suggesting there is no way this extension lingers into the regular season, Strudwick expects McDavid to sign his extension before training camp.

He added, “They’ll wait for him to come back to Edmonton instead of doing it online in his kitchen. I think he’ll be here. They’ll have a big talk. Everyone will say how great it is, and he’ll say, ‘Okay, I’m here. We’re now focused on winning a Stanley Cup this year. Distractions done.'” (h/t Sporting News for the transcription)

Suzuki Has Say in Laine’s Future

The Montreal Canadiens’ acquisition of Patrik Laine was reportedly something the front office ran by captain Nick Suzuki before the deal was made. In a preview of The Rebuild: Behind The Scenes on Crave, it was revealed that GM Kent Hughes consulted Suzuki before finalizing the trade, wanting his captain’s opinion before such a big decision. Suzuki was an advocate for making the deal.