Connor McDavid and Edmonton haven’t re-upped, and neither have Jack Eichel and Vegas. But the longer this loose end looms over the Wild, the more precarious the situation could become.
While Kaprizov, 28, has mentioned that he loves Minnesota, he will have the option to sign elsewhere if he lets his contract run out and tests free agency after the season. That would be a nightmare scenario for the Wild, whose competitiveness has been sponsored by Kaprizov since he debuted in 2021 after getting drafted in the fifth round six years earlier. The Russian forward is already the franchise leader in single-season goals (47), assists (61) and points (108).
If this impasse persists deep into the season, the Wild will be at an unenviable crossroads: Keep Kaprizov and have him finish out his contract, or trade him so the team can recoup at least some type of asset for him instead of getting nothing if he leaves in free agency. That is what happened in 2009 with then-franchise icon Marian Gaborik, who joined the Rangers in New York.
Earlier this year, Kaprizov made it clear how important winning is to him.
The Wild have been playoff-bound in four of Kaprizov’s five seasons, including last spring when the left winger had a series-high nine points vs. the Golden Knights for an impressive return from surgery on a lower-body injury that sidelined him for half the regular season and sabotaged his early MVP candidacy. But the Wild were eliminated in six games and haven’t advanced past the first round since 2015.
A veteran-led core remains intact after the Wild made only a few tweaks over the summer by acquiring experienced forwards Vladimir Tarasenko and Nico Sturm. They earmarked their newfound windfall for a future splash after this year’s top free-agent targets came off the board quickly, the Wild opting for the in-season wiggle room they lacked the last few years when a massive chunk of their budget was covering the Parise and Suter exits.