Snapshots: Rossi, Draft Odds, All-Star Game, Nosek

In late January, the Wild announced that Marco Rossi wouldn’t play this season due to “complications from COVID”.  In a harrowing interview with Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription link), the 19-year-old revealed that he was diagnosed with myocarditis (a heart inflammation) and that his life could have been in serious danger had Austria moved on to the medal round at the World Juniors.  The great news is that Rossi is doing well and the plan is for him to start ramping up to on-ice training in the coming weeks as he looks to try to return for next season.

More from around the hockey world:

• With the Arizona Coyotes forfeiting their first-round pick this season as a result of last year’s fitness testing violation and the fact they’re not in a playoff spot at the moment, it had the potential to affect the June 2nd draft lottery. However, TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports in the latest Insider Trading segment (video link) that the league will not do a redistribution of odds if Arizona’s pick winds up in the lottery.  Instead, they’ll keep them as they normally are and simply redraw if Arizona’s number combination is drawn.  As a reminder, Seattle will have the third-highest odds for those proceedings.
• Seravalli also relays that the NHL intends to hold an All-Star Game next season. While that alone isn’t notable, the league typically shied away from doing so in years that they intend to participate in the Olympics with the last time both events happened being back in 2002.  Seravalli notes that the plan is for them to find a way to squeeze it in even with the extended break so this shouldn’t be construed as a sign that they won’t be participating.  As things stand, the NHL and NHLPA are believed to be pushing to finalize things with the IOC within the next month or so.
• While Tomas Nosek won’t be returning right away from the injury he suffered over the weekend, head coach Peter DeBoer told reporters including Ben Gotz of the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he expects to have the veteran available by the time the playoffs start next month. The veteran has 18 points in 38 games this season while averaging 13:00 per night.