Calgary Flames centre-ice trade target appears to be coming off the board

A potential centre-ice trade target for the Calgary Flames may no longer be available.

The Flames have been working the lines for some time in hopes of finding a young, high-end centreman who fits into their retooling timeline. Doing so is no easy feat, though there was one name that many Flames fans were circling in on earlier in the offseason.

It’s been reported not only this offseason but years in the past that the Minnesota Wild had been considering moving Marco Rossi, whom they selected ninth overall in the 2020 draft.

While trade rumours had cooled off on him this past season, they sparked right back up following his demotion to the fourth line in this year’s playoffs. Rossi wasn’t shy about his frustration with the lack of opportunity he received throughout the Wild’s first-round matchup versus the Vegas Golden Knights, which was particularly notable given that he was on an expiring contract.

“I showed all year long how good I am,” Rossi said. “From 40 points to 60 points this year, anyone who knows me knows [I’m] always going up and I always improve, especially with my work ethic. I have no doubt that I’m for sure a top-six guy.”

Rossi, who is just 23, has topped 20 goals in each of his first two NHL seasons and posted a career-high 60 points in 2024-25. While not particularly strong in the face-off dot, Rossi’s offensive talent suggests that, at the very least, he has the potential to become a dependable second-line centreman.

In the right opportunity, he may even prove to be suited for top-line minutes, which made him seem like a great trade target for the Flames.

That option may no longer be available to GM Craig Conroy, however, as Michael Russo of The Athletic is reporting that Rossi and the Wild appear to be closing in on a contract extension.

Hearing there has been significant progress toward a potential Marco Rossi signing by the #mnwild in the coming days. As we've been reporting, a bridge deal makes the most sense.

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) August 21, 2025

While an extension doesn’t necessarily rule out a trade, it seems to suggest the two sides are finding common ground after some clear tension earlier in the offseason.

As for the Flames, they are set to enter the 2025-26 season with Nazem Kadri, Mikael Backlund, and Morgan Frost down the middle. The fourth-line slot may be occupied by either Martin Pospisil or Justin Kirkland, though Yegor Sharangovich and Connor Zary (who remains an RFA) have some experience playing centre at the NHL level.

Though it’s more of a future solution, the Flames did attempt to address their lack of centre depth at the 2025 draft, where they selected Cole Reschny and Cullen Potter in the first round, along with another centreman in Theo Stockselius in the second.

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