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Kirill Kaprizov Turns Down Wild Deal, Contract Talks Cool

Kirill Kaprizov has been offered a long-term deal by the Wild but said no and now reports are the KHL is interested in signing him.

Getting forward Kirill Kaprizov signed is of the utmost importance for the Minnesota Wild this offseason. He had an outstanding inaugural season and the 24-year-old forward, likely Calder Trophy winner and pending restricted free agent is due for a good chunk of money as one the team’s biggest offensive threats. As such, it makes sense to hear the Wild have already offered him a massive contract.

Related: 11 Teams Who Won’t Be Trading For Sabres’ Jack Eichel


Reports of an eight-year deal being on the table seem to be confirmed by Michael Russo of The Athletic. That said, Russo also writes that he thinks Kaprizov has balked at the contract because of long it would lock him in amidst a flat salary cap. Not only that, but there seems to be hesitation from the player to commit that much of his playing career to the Wild.

As per Russo, before Kaprizov will commit, he wants to know this team will keep improving and has asked for a clear indication of what’s going on with the center position. Knowing they have a “clear plan to upgrade the middle of the ice” is important to a winger who wants the right players to play with and that has led the Wild to significantly upgrading at the center position a priority.

Russo writes:

Sure, the grass isn’t always greener elsewhere, but I think Guerin is going to have to sell Kaprizov on his plan this offseason to get him to commit even as much as five or six years of his life… In fact, I think it’s a big risk if the Wild don’t significantly upgrade their center position.

Kaprizov Has the Leverage Here

Russo writes that the player is essentially holding a loaded gun and it sounds like he’s not afraid to use it. He knows he’s a full-fledged free agent in three years which makes predicting what might happen with this deal tricky.

Russo writes that the ideal target for the Wild would be Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers, but now that the Panthers are playing better hockey, it won’t be as hard for GM Bill Zito to convince Barkov to stick around. The Wild might kick tires on Jack Eichel, but they are not believed to be heavily in the conversations as they are rumored to be one of the teams concerned about his neck issues.

Talks Have Cooled Off

A new update has surfaced as Kevin Weekes of the NHL Network tweets that talks between the two sides have cooled. Weekes adds that Kaprizov is currently in Moscow and that CSKA of the KHL is still trying to sign him. This doesn’t mean that he’s going to sign and not return to the NHL, but the Wild may have a potential issue on their hands.

Next: Zach Hyman’s Big Decision: The Maple Leafs or the Money?

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