The biggest story in the National Hockey League over the last week (if true) came in Minnesota when it was reported by Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff that Minnesota Wild left winger Kirill Kaprizov of Novokuznetsk, Russia turned down an eight year contract offer worth a whopping $128 million. Servalli is reporting that the rejection came during a Tuesday meeting and it would have made Kaprizov the highest paid player in the NHL.
What is Kaprizov’s current contract?
Kaprizov has one more year left on his contract. He is set to make $9 million.
Wild GM Bill Guerin rejects Seravalli’s story
Wild general manager Bill Guerin has rejected Seravalli’s report. He put out the following statement which was published by The House of Hockey.
“I know two things, that info didn’t come from us and it didn’t come from Kirill’s agent, I don’t know where it came from. Kirill and the organization, his agent and I have a very good relationship. We’re working through things. We’re not gonna let things like this get in the way. I still think we’re in a really positive place with Kirill. Like I said, he’s just a great guy. Part of my role is to protect him, so we’re gonna let this go and we just move on.”
Is a bridged deal possible?
The Wild recently signed Marco Rossi to a three year contract worth $15 million. Rossi was reportedly seeking a seven-year deal, but the two sides could not agree. Due to the fact Guerin says the Wild have a strong relationship with Kaprizov’s agent, do not be surprised if you see Kaprizov sign a deal of five years or less when it comes to terms.
Kaprizov in 2024-25
This past season, Kaprizov had 25 goals and 31 assists for 56 points in only 41 games. He missed half the season due to lower body injuries. He was a +19 with 16 penalty minutes, 14 power-play points, five game-winning goals, 145 shots on goal, 17 blocked shots, 16 hits, 12 takeaways, and 59 giveaways.
Where could Kaprizov go?
There are three teams that have popped up on X as places Kaprizov could be traded to. They are the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers and San Jose Sharks. The Rangers and Lightning already have something in common. They have a Russian sniper that Kaprizov could feel comfortable playing with. The Rangers have Artemi Panarin of Korkino, and the Lightning have Nikita Kucherov of Maykop.
The Sharks are in the mix for another reason. They have cap space and can give Kaprizov as much as he wants. San Jose would also get a player who could play with the exciting and talented Macklin Celebrini, on a franchise committed to northern California through to 2051.
