The last thing the Minnesota Wild needed was another injury to a key forward, but that’s exactly what they’ve been hit with. A week after winger Mats Zuccarello returned from an extended absence, first-line center Marco Rossi will now be sidelined for a little while by a lower-body injury, according to insider Michael Russo.
Per Russo, it’ll be a “couple weeks at least” for Rossi, who has apparently been playing through this injury for nearly a month. Head coach John Hynes labeled him as week-to-week on Friday.
Rossi has scored four goals and collected 13 total points in 17 games this season. He had 11 points in the first 11 games of the season, but had just two in the last six. The 24-year-old is coming off a career-high 60-point season in 2024-25. After months of negotiation and speculation, he agreed to sign a three-year, $15 million bridge contract in late August.
With Rossi out, Russo believes 21-year-old rookie Danila Yurov could get his best opportunity yet to move up the lineup and seize a consistent role. Yurov, one of the organization’s top prospects, has two goals and no assists in 13 appearances this season, but he’s averaged less than 10 minutes of ice time per game in a fourth-line role.
In Friday’s practice, Yurov centered the third line between fellow Russian Vladimir Tarasenko and Vinnie Hinostroza. These were the full lines without Rossi, with Ryan Hartman moving up from the third line to the first:
The other thing Rossi’s injury could do is force general manager Bill Guerin’s hand in terms of adding a top-six forward, ideally a center. The Wild would love to see Yurov emerge and thrive, but that’s no guarantee. And with their offense already struggling, losing Rossi could lead to even more difficulty scoring goals.
18 games into the season, the Wild are 7-7-4 and don’t currently occupy a playoff spot. They bounced back nicely from a brutal start by winning four of their first five games in November before an overtime loss against the Sharks on Tuesday.
Despite being in win-now mode, the Wild are 25th in the league in goals scored per game (2.78) and 22nd in goals allowed (3.28). So far, they haven’t provided much reason to think that they’re anywhere close to being a team capable of winning a playoff series.
After a quiet offseason, there have been plenty of rumors and speculation about Guerin going out and making an impact addition in the trade market, and perhaps sooner than later. With Rossi set to be out for a bit, now might be the time to do it. The Wild can’t afford another stretch like they had in the second half of October.
Minnesota has back-to-back games this weekend at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul. The Wild host the Ducks (11-5-1) on Saturday and the Golden Knights (7-4-5) on Sunday. Both games are at 5:00 p.m. CT.
The air in the Caesars Forum was thick with tension as Wendy Osefo walked onto the “Real Housewives of Potomac” panel at BravoCon 2025. It was her first public appearance since her world was shattered by a shocking arrest on multiple felony fraud charges, and every eye in the room was on her, waiting for her to crack. She did not.
Instead, in a masterclass of crisis management, a poised and defiant Wendy Osefo faced the crowd, not as a fallen star, but as a woman under siege.
“You know, it’s an unfortunate situation and right now I can’t say too much, but I will say when the time is right,
” she began, her voice steady, “I will share my story with everyone. And for now, they’re just allegations. So we will continue to push forward.“
It was a carefully worded performance, a declaration of defiance that refused to acknowledge the gravity of the 16 charges, including seven felonies, hanging over her head. She then masterfully shifted the narrative, not to her legal troubles, but to the loyalty of her allies.
“I would just like to thank my cast members for being there for me during this time,” she continued, publicly naming Stacey Rusch, Monique Samuels, Tia Glover, and Gizelle Bryant as those who had reached out. “I am just so grateful for the support I’ve gotten from my cast members, as well as our production team, as well as Bravo.”
A source who was in the room described the palpable tension. “It was a performance, and a brilliant one at that,” the source revealed. “She was projecting strength and gratitude, effectively daring anyone to question her. By thanking Bravo and production, she was also sending a message that she is still in their good graces, despite the scandal. It was a power move.”
Her ally, Stacey Rusch, doubled down on this narrative, telling Page Six that anyone not supporting the Osefos are “not real friends.”
This defiant public appearance is the latest step in a carefully orchestrated comeback campaign. After her arrest, Wendy returned to social media with a glamorous photo and a message of faith: “And through it all, GOD remains faithful.”
Wendy Osefo is not just fighting a legal battle; she is fighting a public relations war. She is accused of staging a burglary and attempting to defraud an insurance company, but on the BravoCon stage, she was not a defendant; she was a star. The question now is, how long can the performance last before the grim reality of a potential prison sentence shatters the facade?