The Minnesota Wild and superstar forward Kirill Kaprizov are at a very expensive crossroads.
According to a report from hockey insider Frank Seravalli, the Wild had an 8-year, $128 million extension offer turned down by Kaprizov on Tuesday. The proposed contract would have made the 28-year-old Russian the highest-paid player in NHL history.
Kaprizov became eligible for an extension on July 1 as his previous five-year, $45 million deal with the Wild expires after the 2025-26 campaign. If the Wild cannot come to an agreement with Kaprizov, they risk losing him for nothing as he will become an unrestricted free agent.
Despite missing exactly half of the 2024-25 regular season, Kaprizov still finished third on the Wild in scoring, recording 56 points (25g, 31a) in 41 games. His career-best season came four seasons ago when he notched 108 points (47g, 61a) in 81 games.
“I just feel that we’re not that far off,” Wild owner Craig Leipold told The Athletic’s Joe Smith last week. “I kind of think we’re there. I like to believe when Kirill comes over and gets a sense again for the excitement and love of the city, I think we’ll be moving forward in a good direction.”
After five seasons in Minnesota, Kaprizov has yet to win a single playoff series. He has previously mentioned that team success is his number-one priority when heading into extension talks.
“We’ll see. I love everything here. It should be all good,” Kaprizov told Smith and Michael Russo in May. “It’s always, every time, it’s about winning. Everyone wants to win. Me, too.”
If the Wild cannot find common ground with Kaprizov on his next deal, they’ll have to consider trading him before he leaves them in free agency. Kaprizov currently holds a full no-movement clause in his contract, potentially complicating any trade discussions that general manager Bill Guerin could have.
