Will Kirill Kaprizov stay with the Minnesota Wild?

One of the biggest storylines of this offseason involves Calder winner Kirill Kaprizov and the Minnesota Wild with their contract situation. There has been speculation about Kaprizov’s future in Minnesota, and earlier this week, it was reported by Frank Seravalli that Kaprizov and CSKA Moscow (KHL) have a tentative agreement for a lucrative contract that would allow him to return to the KHL. The big question on everyone’s mind is, will Kaprizov stay in Minnesota or will he pack his bags and head back to Russia?

Kirill Kaprizov was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the 5th round of the 2015 NHL Draft. After being drafted, Kaprizov remained in the KHL for the next five years to improve his game, and eventually, Kaprizov became a superstar in the KHL. Following his success in Russia, Kaprizov decided to head to the NHL where he would play for the Minnesota Wild on a one-year deal.

In his first NHL season, Kaprizov was a huge game-changer, scoring 27 goals and 51 points in 55 games while leading the Wild to the playoffs. It looked like the Wild got their franchise player in Kaprizov as the future looked bright in Minnesota. However, things didn’t go so smoothly between Kaprizov and Wild with their contract negotiations. The Wild wanted to give Kaprizov a 7-8 year long-term extension while Kaprizov was looking for a 3-4 year short-term deal that would lead him right to UFA status. Contract talks have been very dry between the two sides.

But earlier this week, Frank Seravalli reported that “Kirill Kaprizov has a tentative agreement in place with CSKA Moscow on a one-year, eight-figure deal ($USD) to begin on Sep. 1 – should a new contract not materialize with the Minnesota Wild. However, the Wild appear ready and willing to talk a medium-term length deal.” This is huge news as there is a possibility Kaprizov goes back to the KHL if he doesn’t get the contract he wants. This unexpected news might force the Wild to comply with Kaprizov’s ask of three-four years.

Many people, including reporter Michael Russo, believe that the offer from CSKA Moscow is just an act of leverage from Kaprizov’s agent. It is a possibility that the KHL offer is a form of leverage, however, it seems makes perfect sense that CSKA Moscow is taking advantage of the contract negotiations to bring back their star player.

But in the end, it is likely that Kaprizov will end up staying in Minnesota on his preferred deal for $10 million AAV for fiour years. This contract leads Kaprizov to 28 years old where he will become a UFA and get a massive deal from the Wild or another team. Keep an eye out to see what happens between Kaprizov and the Wild in the next few weeks.