Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold made it clear that the team is thinking about Kirill Kaprizov’s next contract.
First, Kaprizov will become an unrestricted free agent after the 2025-26 season, so the Wild have time as the 27-year-old forward finishes his current five-year, $45 million contract.
Then there’s the important date of July 1, when Kaprizov can sign an eight-year extension with the Wild or a seven-year deal with another NHL team.
So, what is the Wild’s plan for keeping Kaprizov in Minnesota?
“Well, it’s a priority,” Leipold told NHL.com. “There’s no doubt. We want Kirill. He’s a big part of our future. We know that. Billy (Guerin, general manager) has already been thinking about it. How do we go about this? We’ve got to figure out exactly what the cap’s going to be. It’s an important part of our strategic plan to get him signed for as long as we can.”
As of Wednesday, Kaprizov was tied for second in the NHL with 43 points (18 goals, 25 assists) in 27 games. With such a strong start to the season, it’s possible that Kaprizov will be a candidate to become the first player in Wild history to win the Hart Trophy as the league’s MVP.
“I don’t know if I would pitch for it, because the price goes up,” Leipold said jokingly about promoting Kaprizov as a Hart Trophy contender. “I say that with humor. But he’s an amazing player.
“(Although he’s 5-foot-10), he plays like he’s 6-4. He can go in the corner, and he comes out with the puck. He’s got stick skills that you just don’t see very often in this league, and he makes other players better, so it’s not just that he is on the ice and he’s getting a lot of points.
When you’re on the ice with him and you’re a linemate, you better have your eyes open, because that puck could be coming to you through four people.”
Kaprizov, who won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s best rookie in 2020-21, has accumulated 373 points (178 goals, 195 assists) in 305 career games with the Wild.
