NHL rumors: Insider names Marco Rossi as a Canucks offseason target

NHL insider Frank Seravalli has named Minnesota Wild center Marco Rossi as a potential offseason trade target for the Vancouver Canucks.

With Vancouver missing the playoffs, the president of hockey operations, Jim Rutherford, has vowed the team will aggressively upgrade its roster this summer.

Speaking on "Canucks Central," Seravalli suggested Rossi could be a player they target. He noted the connections with the Wild front office, with GM Patrik Allvin and Bill Guerin being exceptionally close.

"I think there's an overarching sense that the Wild aren’t going to want to buck up and pay and devote a ton of cap space to Rossi," Seravalli said.

"A lot of people were reading into his comments from locker clean-out day in Minnesota, saying maybe this is a guy that sees the writing on the wall and might not want to be back for whatever reason."

However, Seravalli acknowledged that trading away a young center like Rossi could leave a hole for the Wild.

"This team has struggled to have a true, authentic center for a while," he said. "Is trading Rossi and eliminating some of that depth you’ve created—does that make any sense for your team?"

Ultimately, Seravalli believes Rossi's name will be part of an ongoing discussion within the front office as they explore all options to upgrade at center.

Marco Rossi scored 24 goals and totaled 60 points over 82 regular-season games, adding 3 points in 6 playoff games.

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NHL analyst Noah Strang names Patrik Laine as Canucks trade target

NHL analyst Noah Strang has identified Patrik Laine as a possible trade target for Vancouver this summer. Strang believes Laine's elite goal-scoring ability could be precisely what the team needs to take the next step.

"The Canucks need goal-scorers. There are few better natural snipers than Patrik Laine currently walking on planet earth. In some ways, this could be a perfect fit for the Canucks as they bring in one of the most dangerous shooters in the game," Strang said.

Laine, 27, was traded to the Montreal Canadiens last offseason. He got 20 goals and 13 assists in 52 games.

Strang argues that Vancouver could give their offense a huge boost with Laine's lightning release and accuracy.