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Should the Canucks have accepted the Wild’s offer for Marco Rossi?: Canucks Conversation
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Photo credit: © Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Clarke Corsan
Dec 11, 2025, 11:00 ESTUpdated: Dec 11, 2025, 00:57 EST
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On a recent episode of Canucks Conversation, David Quadrelli and Harman Dayal took a fresh look at a trade proposal of which the details recently came back into the spotlight – a reported offer from Minnesota that would’ve sent Marco Rossi to Vancouver in exchange for Aatu Räty, the 15th overall pick, and Arturs Silovs. As first reported by CanucksArmy’s own Irfaan Gaffar back in October, the trade package was confirmed in a recent article from The Athletic, so Quads and Harm revisited how it would’ve fit the Canucks’ direction then versus now.
Harm explained that when the rumblings first surfaced, the idea of adding Rossi wouldn’t have been met with much resistance. Back then, the organization was still trying to stay competitive and show Quinn Hughes the roster was moving in the right direction.
“At the time, you wouldn’t have had a ton of pushback on the trade, because at that point the Canucks were in a mode of trying to be competitive to keep Quinn Hughes and make him happy enough to stay and sign long term,” Harm said. “However, seeing the way the season has gone, how fantastic Cootes looked in training camp, of course I’m glad right now that the Canucks didn’t make that trade, but that’s also related to where this team is at in the building phase.”
Rossi is a reliable piece for the Wild and was off to a solid start the season before suffering a lower body injury in mid November, and Harm acknowledged that the price wasn’t unreasonable for a young, cost-controlled forward.
“Rossi is still a really good player and he’s young, so it’s not as if you would’ve been trading for a 28-year-old – you’d have been able to sign him to a pretty favourable long-term contract as an RFA,” Harm said. “I’m glad they didn’t take the deal because they’re clearly headed towards some type of rebuild or retool where you’d rather have Cootes and hang onto as many future picks as you can.”
Harm added that the decision not to chase a splashier move fit with how management handled the summer.
“You have to credit them for not making desperate moves in the summer,” Harm said. “That was the biggest takeaway from their offseason: they didn’t do enough to improve the team. I wasn’t a fan of replacing Suter with Kane, but at least they avoided the possibility of pushing all their chips to the middle, mortgaging first-round picks and prospects, and still not being good enough and looking at the possibility of Quinn Hughes leaving.”
Quads admitted that his reaction at the time might have been different.
“Owner Quads would’ve made that trade in a heartbeat,” he said. “I wasn’t high on Aatu Räty – maybe I’m wrong on that – but I still don’t think he’s going to be more than a high-end 4C, low-end 3C, but clearly they think higher of him, and good for them.”
The decision looks clearer with hindsight. Räty’s stock has risen internally, Silovs was shipped off to Pittsburgh for a fourth round pick and Chase Stillman, and the 15th pick turned into Braeden Cootes – a prospect who impressed both the NHL staff and Canada World Juniors decision makers. What once looked like a reasonable hockey trade now feels misaligned with the direction the club has taken.
For Harm, this wasn’t just about a single offer. It reflected a shift away from the kind of short-term gambles that burned the Canucks in the past. By holding onto their young assets, they’ve given themselves a better runway to rebuild properly, even if the results take longer to show.
Watch the full replay of the show below!
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