He’s in the final season of his two-year, $8.25 million contract, and the 38-year-old was undecided going into the offseason whether he would retire at the end of his deal.
For the first time in the preseason, the Wild played most of their regulars against the Jets.
Kaprizov suited up and saluted the crowd when his new contract was cheered during a break in the first period. (Outside the arena, St. Paul temporarily renamed W. 7th Street “W 97th Street” to honor Kaprizov and his extension. The sign is on the traffic signal at the intersection of Kellogg Boulevard and W. 7th Street/Eagle Street.)
Aside from setting up Matt Boldy in the first period, Kaprizov scored on the power play in the second (tipping in a Zeev Buium shot) before a Foligno shorthanded breakaway during the third completed the Wild’s comeback. The Wild penalty kill went 4-for-4, and Jesper Wallstedt had 26 saves in net.
Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt, who made 26 saves, falls on the puck during the third period Tuesday night. The Wild won 3-2. (Renée Jones Schneider/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
“I thought Wally was really solid,” Hynes said. “He got tested a bit tonight. He came up big. I thought he saw pucks. He was competitive in the net. I thought he made some big saves for us when we needed them, particularly down the stretch, in the 6-on-5. Couple nice saves on the penalty kill, so I thought he was really solid.”
Eriksson Ek and captain Jared Spurgeon made their first appearances, and the Wild reworked their third and fourth lines: Yurov shifted to wing after being at center, and camp standout Hunter Haight filled out a fourth line with Foligno and Yakov Trenin.