Fluke Incident Caused Kaprizov Negotiations To Take a Dramatic Turn

Just weeks ago, the Minnesota Wild weren’t sure whether Kirill Kaprizov’s future would be in Minnesota. According to league insiders, Minnesota questioned if money would even matter — or if the star winger already had his eye on playing somewhere else. The uncertainty only deepened as reports surfaced that teams across the league, including some big-market contenders, were monitoring the situation closely. Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman even suggested there was tampering going on, even though he said he’d never be able to prove it.

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Ultimately, the Wild secured a $136 million deal for Kaprizov, averaging $17 million per season. It’s now the highest AAV and total dollars in NHL history. Was it just the money that changed Kaprizov’s mind, or something else?

Friedman wondered in a recent interview if the turning point came when Aleksander Barkov went down to an injury in Florida. The Panthers’ captain is now likely to miss the entire season on a fluke incident in practice that might have sent a shivering warning to Kaprizov, who himself has dealt with injuries.

Yes, Kaprizov’s camp recognized the leverage they had in negotiations with the Wild; thus, they were pushing for a deal that not only secured his future but also set a new bar across the league. At the same time, Kaprizov had to worry that one bad injury could set everything they were trying back to square one.

By the end, Minnesota understood that if they wanted to keep their franchise cornerstone, they had to pay up. But, Kaprizov, who has expressed genuine appreciation for playing in Minnesota and had a lot to lose if he got injured, wasn’t willing to take a chance that things could all fall apart.

The end result is a contract that altered the outlook for both Kaprizov and the Wild, while sending ripples of impact across the league.

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