The Wild have reportedly offered Kirill Kaprizov an eight-year contract
The Minnesota Wild appear ready to go all-in on @Kirill Kaprizov.
It took quite some time for the No. 135 pick from the 2015 draft to reach the NHL, but he took it by storm when he arrived. Kaprizov led the Wild with 27 goals and 51 points, playing a key role in helping the team put up a 35-16-5 record.
After three strong seasons in the KHL playing for CSKA Moscow, Kaprizov inked a two-year deal with the Wild. The first year of that deal, 2019-20, featured a European Assignment Clause, so the 2021 campaign was Kaprizov’s first in the NHL. He’ll be a restricted free agent this summer.
According to Michael Russo of The Athletic, the Wild are ready to lock him up long-term…
“It’s believed the Wild have already offered him an eight-year contract north of $8 million, the maximum term a team can re-sign one of its own players. Kaprizov has said that he will get more involved in negotiations after the season, but the fact that his agent, Paul Theofanous, hasn’t already jumped at such a commitment means he’ll either be looking for more money or a shorter-term contract.”
Given the fact Kaprizov is already 24 years old, Russo speculates that he might be inclined to sign a shorter-term deal that allows him to cash in once he reached unrestricted free agency. For comparison, @Artemi Panarin came to the NHL when he was 24 on a two-year deal and then signed another two-year deal that walked him to free agency. Once that expired, he inked a seven-year, $81,500,000 contract with the New York Rangers.
Beyond Kaprizov, the Wild also need to figure out new contracts for restricted free agents @Joel Eriksson Ek and @Kevin Fiala this summer.