Rossi has turned Boeser's season around since Vancouver Canucks united them
If it were even possible, Marco Rossi was perhaps a forgotten man following the blockbuster Quinn Hughes trade.
While Zeev Buium and Liam Ă–hgren showed early flashes of being promising NHL players, the same wasn’t initially true for Rossi.
The Austrian centre battled through an injury and registered a measly two points in his first 10 games for the Canucks.
That all changed in March.
The 24-year-old leads all Canucks this month with four goals and 12 points in nine games. He’s tied for 15th in scoring this month alongside NHL stars like Connor McDavid, David Pastrnak, Artemi Panarin, and Robert Thomas.
However, his individual impact on the scoresheet might not be the most impressive thing he’s accomplished this month.
The bigger achievement might be that he’s helping salvage a nightmare season for Brock Boeser.
The 29-year-old hasn’t lived up to his new seven-year contract worth a total of $50.25 million. Boeser started at a fine pace, posting nine goals and 16 points through the first 24 games, good for a 30-goal, 54-point pace over a full season.
However, the Canucks’ highest-paid winger hit the skids at the beginning of December.
From Dec. 1 through the end of February, Boeser had just three goals and 10 points in 28 games. He was basically scoring at a fourth-line rate despite averaging over 19 minutes per game. Boeser was also a -23 during that stretch, the fourth-worst mark in the league.
That all changed in March when a healthy Rossi returned to the lineup.
Boeser is second on the Canucks since March 1, with four goals and 10 points in nine games. Over those nine games, Rossi and Boeser have registered a point on 13 of the Canucks last 22 goals.
“[Rossi] is just getting more comfortable with our systems,” Boeser said recently. “Sticking with the same linemates. I think that’s helping.”
Boeser and Rossi have formed the Canucks most dangerous line of late, alongside Ă–hgren. The good news about their success is that they may just be getting started.
“I thought our first few games together, me, him, and Liam, weren’t great. And then the last few games, I thought we’ve been a lot better at creating chances and reading off each other. So, I think the chemistry is coming.”
Head coach Adam Foote credits Boeser with helping that line mesh together.
“We give Boes a lot of credit,” Foote said last week. “He’s been here for three and a half years with the talk and the systems, so he’s good at supporting the line and helping them out. It’s helping Marco and Liam get there quicker.
While Ă–hgren hasn’t been as productive as his linemates, he provides an element to the line that wouldn’t be considered a strength for Rossi or Boeser.
“He brings the speed,” said Rossi. “He goes on the forecheck really hard, and when he gets the puck, he finds us, and he tries to get open.”
So, can the newly formed “BRO Line” be something for the Canucks beyond this season?
That remains to be seen. But, based on the fact that Rossi and Ă–hgren were key parts of such a massive trade, coupled with Boeser being locked up long-term, the potential is certainly there.
“It’s clicking, game by game,” Rossi said. “It’s getting better. The chemistry is coming.”
“Everyone is bringing something different to the line, and I think that’s the key.”