Kirill Kaprizov and the Minnesota Wild could be headed their separate ways.
After reportedly turning down a contract extension offer that would have made him the highest-paid player in NHL history, new developments have emerged on Thursday that the Wild have asked Kaprizov for a list of teams he would accept a trade to. Kaprizov is in the final year of his contract and holds a full no-movement clause, putting him in the driver’s seat of a potential move.
The latest report comes per Russian hockey insider Alexei Shevchenko, relayed into English by RG Media’s Daria Tuboltseva.
Kaprizov became eligible for an extension on July 1 as his previous five-year, $45 million deal with the Wild expires after the 2025-26 campaign. The offer he reportedly turned down from the Wild would have seen him make $128 million over the next eight seasons ($16 million AAV).
The deal would have seen him paid $2 million more per season than the current holder of the title for highest-paid player, the Edmonton Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers signed Draisaitl to an eight-year, $112 million extension ($14 million AAV) just over a year ago.
“I think the Wild were a little bit surprised,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said Thursday on the latest episode of the 32 Thoughts Podcast. “I don’t think there’s any doubt about that.”
Friedman also delved into theories about what may be going on behind the scenes, allowing Kaprizov to turn down the Wild’s historic offer.
“For him to say no convinces me that he or his representatives know something else is out there that’s bigger,” Friedman said. “Assuming this is not sign and trade, there has to be somebody out there with a 7-year, $19 million or 7-year $20 million [offer]. There’s somebody who is sending up smoke signals, saying ‘We can do better.’”
Kaprizov, 28, finished third on the Wild in scoring last season, recording 56 points (25g, 31a) in 41 games. The Russian winger suffered multiple lower-body injuries during the campaign, eventually opting for surgery in late January, which forced him out of the lineup until the final four games of the regular season.
If the Wild can’t find a resolution to their extension talks with Kaprizov, they’ll need to find a trade suitor or risk losing the superstar for nothing, as he is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.
Update, 7:30 pm: The Athletic’s Michael Russo is questioning Shevchenko’s report on X. When asked if there was any truth to the Wild asking Kaprizov for a trade list, Russo replied simply, “No.”
