Minnesota Wild fans have finally received the long-awaited news they have been waiting for.
According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, Kirill Kaprizov has agreed to an 8-year contract extension with the club at an average annual value above the original $16 million offer, coming in at $17 million per season.
This historic contract will be record-breaking for Kaprizov, making him the highest-paid player in the game. It is the richest deal in NHL history as the salary cap continues to rise at unprecedented levels.
“Kirill the Thrill” recorded 25 goals and 31 assists in 41 injury-shortened games for the Wild last year. In the playoffs, returning back to health, he amassed five goals and four assists in six games.
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What does this move mean for Minnesota?
This is fantastic news for the Wild to lock up their franchise player for the long term, albeit at a very steep price for a winger. Kaprizov has established himself as Minnesota’s star and proved himself to be the squad’s most talented player since joining the Wild in 2021.
Spread across five seasons thus far, Kaprizov has registered 185 goals and 201 assists for 386 points in 319 regular season games. In the playoffs, he has totaled 15 goals and six assists in 26 games.
Kaprizov will hope to keep the Wild in contention throughout his stint with the organization and deliver Minnesota its first Stanley Cup. That will start with greater playoff success as the Wild have not yet won a playoff series in the Kaprizov era, but the future is bright in Minny.
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