The Minnesota Wild announced on Saturday night that Marco Rossi has returned home to Austria. Their announcement said that Rossi will be unwinding with family amid Covid-19 concerns. No more details were announced.
Some news: #mnwild forward Marco Rossi has returned to Austria to rest with his family due to complications from COVID.
There is no timetable for his return to Minnesota.
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) January 31, 2021
Marco Rossi to Return to Austria, Leaving Minnesota Wild
Rossi has been in an uphill battle for months now. The forward tested positive for Covid-19 in late-November, holding him out of some important ice time ahead of the 2021 World Juniors. He still managed to play in the tournament, though, serving as Team Austria’s captain. while he didn’t register a point in the tournament, he wowed many fans, looking like the rare bright spot on an Austrian team that struggled.
The Wild drafted Rossi ninth-overall in the 2020 NHL Draft. This came after an incredible draft-year performance, where Rossi scored 39 goals and 120 points through a mere 56 OHL games. This led the league in both scoring and points-per-game. It was enough to have many scouts drooling over Rossi, to the point that even his ninth-overall selection seemed way too low.
Minnesota were chalked up as bandits following the pick and wanted to give Rossi every chance to thrive. But they haven’t been able to do that just yet. Earlier in the year, Rossi was placed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury that many fans questioned. The injury held Rossi out of camp and early-season games. Now, his return to Austria will hold him out even longer.
Looking Forward
There is no timetable for Rossi’s return to the United States. But when he does return, it’s very likely the Minnesota Wild will be very excited to finally test out their new star prospect. The Wild have seen plenty of success already, ranking in the top three of teams in the West Division on the back of rookie phenom Kirill Kaprizov. Kaprizov is tied for the team-lead in points, with seven through eight games. Fans are very, very excited to see the high-energy Rossi match-up with Kaprizov, forming a duo that looks too good to be true.
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