Wild call up first-round picks Matt Boldy, Marco Rossi to make NHL debuts

The Minnesota Wild are calling up Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi — their 2019 and 2020 first-round picks — to make their NHL debuts together on Thursday against the Boston Bruins. Coach Dean Evason confirmed the call-ups in an interview on radio station KFAN Tuesday morning.

The moves come amid a five-game winless streak for the team, including a 6-4 loss to the St. Louis Blues in the Winter Classic on New Year’s Day.

The two forwards have been playing for the team’s AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild. Rossi, 20, leads the team with 23 points (seven goals, 16 assists) in 21 games. Boldy, 20, has four goals and 10 points in 10 games. He has missed time because of a broken ankle suffered in training camp and a lower-body injury sustained last month.

Boldy, selected 12th out of Boston College, is the only top-20 pick in the 2019 draft yet to make his NHL debut.

Minnesota drafted Rossi with the No. 9 pick in 2020. After testing positive for COVID-19 in November 2020, he was diagnosed with myocarditis and did not play last season. He was in Minnesota’s training camp this preseason before he was assigned to the AHL.

At practice Tuesday, forward Nick Bjugstad left the ice in pain after being slashed by a teammate. Evason said, “didn’t look good” when asked about Bjugstad.

(Photo of Boldy: Harrison Barden / Getty Images)