The New York Rangers had an immensely disappointing season. Many believed the team could contend for a Stanley Cup in 2025. And through their first 16 games, New York had a 12-4-0 record while looking dominant in the early going.
However, the team fell apart in the 2024-25 season, and they did not make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. There are a number of players who drew the ire of the fanbase throughout the campaign. One player who is always under fire is former first-round pick Alexis Lafreniere.
Lafreniere appeared to break out in 2023-24, scoring 28 goals and 57 points. The Rangers had high hopes for the young winger following that performance. They even signed him to a massive seven-year contract during the 2024-25 regular season.
However, Lafreniere did not build on his 2023-24 performance. He still turned in a respectable 17 goals and 45 points in 82 games. These are fine numbers, but they are numbers New York certainly can’t have expected in the wake of his contract extension.
Lafreniere has long been the subject of trade rumors. One NHL writer took this opportunity to outline some potential landing spots for the Rangers forward. However, things went beyond a simple destination with one landing spot.
Bleacher Report writer Adam Getz mentioned the Minnesota Wild as an option for the former first-overall pick. Moreover, he floated the idea of New York trading Lafreniere to the Wild in exchange for center Marco Rossi.
“Could that sort of swap be a potential starting point? The Wild would get a young, potential top-six scorer who is already signed long-term. The Rangers would get a potential impact scorer at center whose best days are still ahead of him,” Getz wrote of this trade idea.
Does Marco Rossi Fit With Rangers?
Sean M. Haffey/Getty ImagesMarco Rossi could give the Rangers a spark, but it isn’t straightforward.
Every team in the NHL is looking for young, impactful centers. Top-line centers do not grow on trees. Adding these sorts of pivots where you can is vital for any team looking to build sustainable success on the ice.
If there is any team in the NHL that needs these sorts of centers, it’s the Rangers. All four of their main roster centers are in their 30s. Two of their more important centers, J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad, are both 32 years old.
Rossi is a fantastic fit for the Rangers in this sense. He is only 23 years old and has his entire career ahead of him. Moreover, he has also already proven himself at the NHL level. Rossi could step in this year and make an impact in New York.
However, the financial fit is different. Rossi is a restricted free agent this summer. New York would hold his rights if they were able to work out a trade with the Wild. However, they would need to clear a significant salary to sign him.
Trading Zibanejad is certainly one route to take. It would clear a spot down the middle for Rossi, and move out a large amount of money. Given Zibanejad’s performance this past season, though, that’s easier said than done. And that’s where the complication lies for New York.
How Does Alexis Lafreniere Help Wild?
Wild center Kirill Kaprizov is one of the best players in the NHL. In saying this, there is one glaring concern with him that impacts the rest of the roster. Kaprizov has struggled with injury at least once in each of the last three seasons.
This season was the worst of his injury issues by far. The Wild star played just half the season — 41 games — in 2024-25. To be fair, he scored 25 goals and 56 points in those games. He also led Minnesota with nine points in six playoff games.
The point is not the Wild star’s injury proneness. The point is that when Kaprizov exits the lineup, Minnesota’s lack of top-six depth is exposed. Minnesota does not have a reliable center who can play up the lineup with him out. And even when he’s in, the team’s depth on the wing is lacking.
Lafreniere would certainly bring a major boost to the Wild’s top-six. While not a center, he could absolutely complement Matt Boldy and Mats Zuccarello on the flanks. This bodes well for Minnesota, who can breathe a bit easier if Kaprizov misses significant time in 2025-26.
Taking on his contract should not be a massive issue. The Wild are getting $15 million in dead cap space off their books this summer. The major question is whether Minnesota would do this deal. If they can’t agree to terms with Rossi, making this sort of swap could certainly be on the table.
