Everyone knows Kirill Kaprizov is the Minnesota Wild’s number-one player and superstar even after last season’s disappointing finish. He’s been their leading scorer since he joined them in the 2020-21 season and even with an injury this season, he still led the team in points. While it took a little bit for fans to realize who Kaprizov was when he was originally drafted in 2015, the same can’t be said about Marco Rossi.
Rossi was drafted ninth overall in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft and fans knew his name immediately. Anyone that has followed the Wild for some time knows their struggles in the center ice position and with Rossi being a highly touted center, there were expectations put on his shoulders as soon as the Wild called his name. However, taking a look at his career so far, things have not gone the way he or the team had hoped, but some of that was out of his control due to Myocarditis following a bout with COVID. He’s come a long way but still has some struggles that he’ll hopefully grow out of this season.
Rossi & Kaprizov Similarities
There are more differences than similarities between Kaprizov and Rossi, but there are a couple of things that are similar with the first being pressure. The weight of the team has been placed on both of these players over the last few seasons, with the majority going to Kaprizov recently. However, time seems to be ticking for Rossi and the pressure is on for him to prove he was worth being drafted ninth overall.
The more desperate the Wild become for a strong top-six center, the more expectations are laid on Rossi’s shoulders. They expect him to play at the same level as Kaprizov but at the center ice position. The other similarity between these two is their skill level. They both have exceptional skating abilities along with incredible puck handling and they can see the ice like no other player. While it doesn’t seem like Rossi plays like Kaprizov, he has the talent to do so.
The high level of expectations and their skill level are things they have in common, but that’s where it ends. Hopefully, as their careers progress, they’ll begin to have more similarities than differences.
Rossi & Kaprizov Differences
The first difference between Rossi and Kaprizov is their ages. While they’re both young, Rossi is five years younger than Kaprizov which also means their experience levels are different as well. They came from two different areas of hockey; Rossi played mostly in Austria while Kaprizov played in Russia. Two very different styles of hockey and training plus the age difference as well.
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The next difference is their position, Rossi is a center and Kaprizov is a winger. While Rossi has played the wing position occasionally, Kaprizov on the other hand has not been moved from his left wing position and that is his home spot. Finally, they both have high levels of talent at their positions, but they have slightly different playing styles.
Rossi is more of a carry the puck in first kind of player while Kaprizov is a pass-first kind of player. Both are highly valuable and both are needed on a team, which is why they worked well on the same line together briefly during last season. Kaprizov is obviously a goal scorer as well but he prefers to pass the puck instead of carry it. They each have high levels of talent but show it in different ways.
Rossi is Not Kaprizov
The important thing to learn from their similarities and differences is Rossi is not Kaprizov and it’s unfair to expect the same things from him. Kaprizov played five years in Russia’s professional league, the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) before he joined the NHL, so he was basically already playing professionally. Plus he was 24 years old when he was a rookie in the NHL. Rossi was 19 and while it doesn’t seem like a big gap, it is, especially in hockey.
The amount of pressure that Rossi has been put under should not be the same as his counterpart. Kaprizov hit the ground running during his first season and Rossi wasn’t able to. Every player grows at different rates and hits their prime at different times. Kaprizov had a small adjustment period from the KHL to the NHL, but Rossi didn’t have that advantage. He played in competitive leagues but not at the same level of competition.
Every player handles themselves differently and both Kaprizov and Rossi have improved over the past few seasons. Kaprizov has been able to adapt his game some and Rossi is still learning those things. All of these things take time to learn but unfortunately, Rossi might be getting close to the end of his playing time with the Wild.
Rossi Has to Prove Himself
While Rossi isn’t Kaprizov, and expecting him to be isn’t fair, he may be running out of time in Minnesota. He’s going on his third year in the NHL and they’re getting antsy waiting for his talent to shine. So far they’ve been patient with his development, but it sounds like this is his make-it-or-break-it season.
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That may sound harsh but the Wild can’t wait around forever for him to find his game. They know he has the talent, he just has to dig deep and figure out how to make it work. Obviously, that’s easier said than done and it’s equally important to remember that he’s still just a kid. They may not be able to wait after this season, but another team will. Hopefully, 2023-24 will be his time to shine and the Wild will get the player they’ve been looking for; still not Kaprizov, but Rossi, and on an optimistic thought, he will soon become another household name in the NHL.
