Canucks News N Notes 26-27

[Cousin Strawberry]

If he will bring back a 1st Rd pick then hasta la vista.

He's a shrimp and RJ don't talk no shrimp

[donlever]

Obviously yes.

[BoS]

I don’t recall ever suggesting Rossi was only here short term. But perhaps I did?

[Tciso]

A lot of Rossi's success will likely depend on how healthy Brock's dog is next season.

+1

If we really want Brock to implode, we could get him a rescued 7 year old Great Dane. They are ticking time bombs.

[Tciso]

We are in no hurry to trade Rossi. He has a good contract, and is an RFA at the end of it. And, he is just 25 this fall. He could be another 1st in 2030, but we need him for the next few years at least, and he is not too old for the rebuild. His next contract will be a good test of RJ's GM skills.

[donlever]

I don’t recall ever suggesting Rossi was only here short term. But perhaps I did?

No you did not.

But you did mention flip him which is what RG appears to have reacted to

[Ronning's Ghost]

Did I say I see Rossi as not a part of the team when the corner is turned?

You did not.

Which leads to the query are you putting words in my mouth RG, not reading what I out down or an I just shitty at demonstrating intent on the written page?

What I said is ...

I quoted the specific passage that led to my question: "he could be one of those guys until Caleb Cootes et al come along".
I interpreted that to mean that once Caleb Cootes et al came along, he would no longer be one of those guys -- "an on ice/off ice leader and earn himself a big ticket" -- and that if he were no longer earning the big ticket, the management/ownership group would be wise to shed his contract.

But part of why it was phrased as a question is that I wasn't sure of that interpretation.

I don’t recall ever suggesting Rossi was only here short term. But perhaps I did?

No you did not.

But you did mention flip him which is what RG appears to have reacted to

I can't even find where BoS said that, and he wasn't one of the people I quoted. None of his remarks inspired my question.

But the conversation has moved on. Don and Cousin have also mentioned that Rossi doesn't fit what appears to be RJ's vision for the team.

That may be true, but for the sake of conversation, I will propose an alternative interpretation.
The abundance of beef on draft day might not have been a reflection of a vision for the team, so much as a draft philosophy for the first year of a rebuild, in that they believed that a bigger player was more likely to eventually yield at least some NHL value, so that they wouldn't get zero for the pick. To use UWSaint's metaphor, they opted to bat for average, rather than swinging for the fences (contrary to his analysis -- or my understanding of his analysis -- of what their draft approach should be).
So while "RJ don't talk no shrimp" is a reasonable interpretation of the Canucks 2026 draft day, and the ownership/management group's vision for the team, I don't think it's the only reasonable interpretation.

Edited to fix punctuation.

[donlever]

In summary if Rossi man's up and proves himself an above average # 2 Centre and does indeed show some vet chops as he matures then:

Malhotra
Rossi
Cootes

...in 4 years might not be horrible at all.

If someone throws a worthy return at you yeah, trade anyone, but it is not beyond the realm of possibility that Marco becomes part of something positive here.

[Ronning's Ghost]

Thanks for clarifying.

[BoS]

Yes, thanks for clarifying.

I have no problem hanging on to Rossi, especially if RJ can pull a rabbit out of his hat and unload Pettersson this summer. (Dare to dream)

There was a discussion some time back about building your team similar to that of the Canes, with 3 #2 centres rather than a franchise guy. Rossi still has upside, and his development had clearly stalled last season due to injuries. As mentioned, he was a standout in the waning weeks of the season, and does have a strong work ethic.

I think he’ll come to camp next fall with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove.

[Lancer]

Rossi is THE 'tweener' of the roster in terms of age and ability. I've also heard he's a gym-fanatic. At the end of the day, Rossi is incentivized to be the best teammate and player he can be to maximize his leverage - either in Vancouver or elsewhere. He either turns into a keeper with a cap-hit to match as the squad begins to compete, or he gets flipped for a piece or futures. Hopefully management will have someone waiting in the wings to take Rossi's place in that event.