Clock is Ticking in Minnesota: Pens Trade Target Marco Rossi May Miss Entire Season Due to Contract Standstill

The Minnesota Wild and restricted free agent Marco Rossi are seemingly headed to a potential contract standoff. Coming up soon is training camp, and with a contract not set in place, there is every right for fans to be concerned.

A recent article by James Murphy at RG Media compared Marco Rossi's holdout to the recent one last summer by the Boston Bruins with Jeremy Swayman.

That holdout carried over into the season and was a significant factor in Boston's poor play that cost them a playoff position. The moral: an extended holdout can damage both the player and the team.

If Rossi waits too long, the Wild might find themselves in the same boat. It is too often a matter of chicken; if the player folds, he is discovered to have been duped; if the team folds, they have forfeited leverage at the table.

Neither sides don't want to fold, which creates tension all the more. The Wild are counting on Rossi to provide depth to their third line, and losing him would leave a massive gap.

It would be replaced by a player like Danila Yurov, Nico Sturm, or Marcus Johansson, but they don't have similar upside.

Not having much depth on the free-agent or trade market, GM Bill Guerin might be left with little choice but to wait and watch what unfolds.

Minnesota is able to make the deal on paper with dollars, but they are not negotiating with each other. If this standoff carries over into camp, the Wild's early-season fortunes are at risk.

For an organization attempting to get a jump on some early momentum, having Rossi signed and ready to go is more than a priority; it's an absolute necessity.