Marco Rossi Is Already the Canucks’ No. 1 Center. That Says a Lot About Where This Team Is Headed.

Vancouver has a 24-year-old Austrian running their top line next season, and he wasn’t even on the roster a year ago. That’s the reality for a Canucks team still trying to figure out what it’s building toward.

According to The Athletic’s Thomas Drance, the Canucks view Marco Rossi as their first-line center heading into 2026-27. Not Elias Pettersson, who makes more money than anyone else on the roster and has been the subject of trade rumors for months. Not some splashy free agent signing or a draft pick that hasn’t arrived yet. Just Rossi, a guy they got back in the Quinn Hughes trade with Minnesota.

“This season, I genuinely think the Canucks consider Rossi as their first-line centre,” Drance wrote. “He had legitimate chemistry with Brock Boeser, and I think that left wing spot is probably the best place to park Jake DeBrusk next season, if he isn’t dealt this summer.”

That’s a pretty clear picture of where the organization’s head is at. Rossi arrived in Vancouver as part of the blockbuster that sent Hughes to the Wild, and after returning from an injury in late February, he put up 20 points in 25 games while running the top power play unit. That’s a 65-point pace over a full season, and the Canucks are hoping he can match or beat that in 2026-27.

Rossi’s Contract Situation Gets Complicated

Here’s the tricky part. Rossi has two years left on his bridge deal, and when it expires he’ll be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent. Drance pointed out that’s suboptimal for the team because Rossi is going to get major opportunity and produce over those two seasons. He’ll have a ton of leverage when it’s time to negotiate.

“He’ll probably have an enormous amount of leverage as a result of his projected role, productivity and the fact that he’s legitimately good,” Drance wrote.

So Vancouver is staring at two paths. Either they trade Rossi in 2027, when his value is highest, or they sign him to a long-term extension that keeps him in Vancouver through the rebuild. Drance leans toward the second option, noting that Rossi will be 27 when his next contract kicks in and the Canucks’ next great first-line center might be years away anyway.

“My lean, given that Rossi will be 27 when his third contract kicks in, and that Vancouver’s next great first-line centre might be a half-decade out from arriving in any event, is that the optimal strategy is to let Rossi succeed and produce in a top-of-the-lineup role this season.”

That’s a vote of confidence, but it’s also a bet on a player who hasn’t proven it over a full season yet. Rossi was excellent in that 25-game stretch, but the sample size is small. The Canucks are essentially betting that his production is real and sustainable.

If he keeps developing, Rossi could be a franchise cornerstone. If he doesn’t, Vancouver is left with a big hole at the most important position in hockey. That’s what makes this one of the more interesting storylines to follow for a team that could be in for another long season.