ST. PAUL, Minn. — The danger with asking for mailbag questions last week and running the answers this week is that things can change quickly in the NHL.
Let’s put it this way: The Wild are 6-1-1 in their past eight games and tied for the most wins, points and fewest goals against in the league this month. So the tone of some of the questions was a wee bit more negative than they’d probably be if we asked today.
As Kirill Kaprizov said after scoring in overtime to beat Vegas on Sunday night, “All season, you never know — it can be up and down. … Standings can change so quick. We were at the end. Now we go up. You can win five games straight, then three games lose, and you go down again. It’s just part of hockey.”
Nevertheless, here’s Part 2 of our Ask Russo and Smith mailbag. If you missed Part 1, click this link.
In your opinion, was Kirill Kaprizov overpaid? — Mike W.
Russo: Yeah, by NHL standards. I’m not going to regurgitate the whole “different players have different values to different teams” thing. Sure, it’s true, and the Wild could not afford to lose Kaprizov. That’s a fact.
But that doesn’t mean he needed to be paid so astronomically more than every other potential free agent out there for 2026-27. The Wild were boxed in by an agent who clearly held the upper hand, and they ultimately conceded far more than they should have in the negotiation. Plain and simple, it doesn’t look good for the Wild that the aftermath of Kaprizov signing for $17 million was Jack Eichel signing for $13.5 million, Connor McDavid for $12.5 million, Kyle Connor for $12 million, Martin Necas for $11.5 million and Adrian Kempe for $10.625 million.
All those players were willing to sign for significantly less than the new market value Kaprizov created because they wanted to help their team’s salary structure so they could win. And even though Kaprizov is the best player in Wild history, being paid so much will absolutely affect what the Wild can and cannot do around him in the future. That’s not good for anybody: for Kaprizov, who wants to win; for Bill Guerin, who really, really wants to “effin win;” or for Craig Leipold, who really, really, really wants to win.
Minnesota should be a hockey destination, and Kaprizov should help make it one by luring other players. But it’s troublesome that it took overpaying Kaprizov to such a large degree to keep their own homegrown player.
KIRILL KAPRIZOV IN THE CLUTCH!! 😱
The @mnwild win a big one in @Energizer overtime! pic.twitter.com/rzWsep1VGI
— NHL (@NHL) November 17, 2025
Is Kaprizov hurt? His skating, like the explosion, seems different. — Terry C.
Russo: I don’t believe so, and as Mats Zuccarello reminded me the other day, Kaprizov had a significant surgery last February — and a “bigger” abdominal surgery than Zuccarello recently had. So it takes time, not just physically, but mentally.
I remember Marián Gáborík always used to say that, coming off his abdominal surgeries, his biggest worry on the ice was how hard to push sometimes because he was always worried about recurrence.
Is John Hynes scared of a goaltender controversy after the Wild paid Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt’s hot start? Why not keep the kid with a hot hand in? — Tony K.
Smith: I don’t get the sense that Hynes is scared of a goalie controversy. When asked the other day if one was brewing, Hynes said, “I’ll take that any day of the week.” What Hynes meant was that he likes when there’s a healthy competition among goalies, which typically pushes them both to get better.
If Wallstedt continues to play like this, he’s going to earn more starts. But Gustavsson has had a couple of good starts since Wallstedt’s strong stretch started, so he’s not going to give up the net either.
“We are really pushing each other,” Gustavsson said. “That’s what a good goalie tandem does.”
You can tell Wallstedt is earning more trust from the staff every day with his practice habits and performance.
What exactly is Hynes’ reasoning for not playing Zeev Buium in OT? — Bill P.
Smith: Well, Sunday was a good start, with Buium finally getting his first shift in an NHL overtime, getting on the ice for an offensive-zone faceoff.
It’s hard to see a reason Buium isn’t a regular in three-on-three, with his offensive skill set and special skating ability. Look at what rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer has done in OT recently. Part of Buium not being in initially was likely because Hynes was wary of the rookie’s decision-making.
But Buium should be a staple in OT eventually here.
Russo: I’m with you, Bill, as long as he doesn’t defer. He needs to understand he’s out there because he’s good enough, smart enough and in the words of Stuart Smalley, dog-gone it, people trust him!
Buium was rightfully taken off the No. 1 power play after the first period Sunday because he refused to shoot from point-blank range and kept overpassing. But most of the time, defending in overtime is about skating and angling, which happen to be Buium’s greatest qualities. You’re not clearing the net front or, often, winning board battles in overtime, which are the areas Buium needs to grow in.
The Wild have lost four games in overtime. I’d prefer to lose with Buium trying to make a play instead of Jonas Brodin not trying to make a play.
Joel Eriksson Ek has scored less than 20 goals since mid-February 2024. Is his lack of production indicative of a downward trend due to injuries, being miscast as a scoring-line center, or not being utilized correctly offensively? — Chris N.
Russo: I do think injuries have affected him, but he’s still so important on the net front on the power play, and his value goes so far beyond offense. Just look at the past three games. Eriksson Ek played roughly 10 minutes against Leo Carlsson’s Anaheim Ducks line, Macklin Celebrini’s San Jose Sharks line and Jack Eichel’s Vegas Golden Knights line. The high-danger chances in those minutes? 10-1 in favor of the Wild. That’s bonkers.
Eriksson Ek is also getting better in the faceoff circle as the season goes and leads the league in faceoffs won and faceoffs taken. Sure, it’d be nice if he scored more, but his line usually wins its matchup. Opponents talk about Eriksson Ek the way they used to talk about Mikko Koivu. They hate playing against him.
That’s some incredible patience from Mats Zuccarello on that pass 😯 pic.twitter.com/FpA1WzrRxi
— NHL (@NHL) November 16, 2025
Has Daemon Hunt played his way into a regular role? — Donny F.
Smith: It’s a small sample size, but Hunt is certainly showing he could become a regular. Whether it’s as a top-four guy remains to be seen, but he gives the Wild options on the left side, especially if one of the veterans is moved. Buium has higher upside, but there’s nothing wrong with having a reliable, smooth-skating left-shot D who can play second or third pair and the PK.
Russo: Plus, he’s showing he can play the right side, which is valuable.
David Jiricek’s skating was originally considered his biggest weakness. Does the coaching staff still consider that his biggest need? Or has this year identified other ways he needs to improve as well? When Zach Bogosian returns, does Jiricek go down to the AHL to get more time? — Bd B.
Russo: To answer your last question first, if the Wild are healthy, almost certainly. Hunt’s playing over Jiricek now, and that surely doesn’t help a young defenseman’s development.
I think Jiricek’s skating issues were vastly exaggerated. I think his issue is more so limiting lethal mistakes. He makes one or two per game. Like the San Jose game recently, he was having a terrific game, and then he took a careless slashing penalty that led to a power-play goal against that forced overtime and an eventual loss in a game the Wild dominated virtually every second of.
I am not ready to cast him aside and say, “He can’t be a player.” I see all the tools that attracted the Wild to him, but at some point, he’s got to put it all together.
When you realize a player is not going to be what you saw with “scout’s eyes,” it’s best to cut bait before the rest of the league figures it out. Clearly, the Columbus Blue Jackets decided that. This is why it’s imperative for the Wild to figure out what they’ve got here soon with Liam Ohgren. You don’t want to give up on him too soon, but when I talk to scouts lately, he’s starting to plummet down other teams’ forward rankings.
Is Wild management — owner, GM and coach — aware of the fatigue factor growing amongst its fan base? Each new set of prospects brings with it the promise that this is the group. Still, we wait. Disappointed. Frustrated. And tired. — Dan D.
Smith: I do believe they get it. I remember we had a conversation with Leipold before last season about whether he was worried that Wild fans wouldn’t stay patient as they’re still trying to become a serious contender.
“Absolutely,” Leipold said. “We think about our fans all the time. We don’t want to overpromise and underdeliver.”
And don’t think the Wild brass didn’t notice early this season when attendance was smaller than usual. This franchise has been remarkably fortunate that the fanbase has stuck with it even after not winning a playoff series for a decade. This all played a part in the Kaprizov negotiations, too. Guerin acknowledged how devastating it would have been had their first true superstar not decided to stay.
The other question is how patient Leipold will be if the team continues to underdeliver the next year or two.
As good as Danila Yurov played with Marcus Foligno and Yakov Trenin, and with his higher skill upside, how does that impact the eventual return of Nico Sturm? Too soon to tell? Does it push Ryan Hartman back on the wing? Yurov to the AHL? — Skip C.
Russo: I hope it’s not the latter. Yurov keeps getting better every game. I love his competitiveness and reliability. Offense will come with time.
Obviously, we have to see what the health is with the team then. If Marco Rossi is back, for instance, maybe it pushes Yurov to the wing because they like Hartman at center. The one thing I’ll say is I do think the Wild are considering trading Hartman.
Would the Wild be able to send Yurov down to Iowa? I was under the impression that if he was not playing in the NHL, he would be allowed to go back to the KHL instead of being sent to Iowa. — Tyler B.
Russo: He has a European out clause for the entirety of his three-year contract, so it would be up to Yurov and his agent. That said, I can’t see Yurov making such a long-term decision if the Wild were going to temporarily assign him to Iowa.
Can you expand on the comment you’ve made about players like Kaprizov, who “took his name off the board” for interviews and how that works? Do players do it before or after a game? Does the PR department dictate this? Do reporters make requests for players on the board? — Paul O.
Smith: The Wild PR staff will ask beat writers for their requests for interviews for after a game, and we typically can agree on the key three or four. Their numbers are put on the dry-erase board in the dressing room. Usually, the players requested are available and come out to speak to us. Players rarely decline, which is why it was brought up when Kaprizov didn’t just decline but erased his number from the board after a rough loss earlier this season.
To be fair, Kaprizov has been pretty good when it comes to granting interviews, and his growing proficiency with the English language and comfort level around reporters have been impressive. But Kaprizov is the team’s best player and alternate captain, so it was a bad look for him to pass the responsibility of talking to his teammates, and it sent the wrong message to young players that they could do it too.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you think Guerin regrets the Foligno extension? What he says to the media is one thing, but I would imagine he at least has some regret. — Steven A.
Russo: I’d put it at 1. Guerin loves Foligno and thinks he’s critical to the success of the team. I personally do, too. He’s so important in the locker room and drags the Wild into the fight physically, which is needed in the playoffs, and he is one of the league’s best defensive forwards even when he’s not scoring.
The only mistake with the extension was doing it before signing Hartman, because once Foligno got $4 million per, Hartman had to get at least that, given his role, position and 34-goal season after taking a pay cut to re-sign.
Candidly, the Foligno disparagement at times drives me crazy, but I’m also biased because he’s one of the best dudes I’ve covered and is the most accountable athlete I’ve ever seen. To Joe’s point on Kaprizov wiping his name off the board above and leaving others to face the music with the media, guess which skater was the only one to talk after that game? You guessed it. Marcus.
Regardless, every player deserves a mulligan, and Kaprizov is great to deal with.
🫎 in THE HAT pic.twitter.com/zLw0LtdBvh
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) November 17, 2025
Would the Wild ever waive/send down Vladimir Tarasenko? Clearly it’s not working, and when Nico Sturm is back, it would be really disappointing to take Danila Yurov out and/or remove Vinnie Hinostroza (who has been much better than Tarasenko). Or maybe they just park him as the extra forward? — Brady W.
Smith: That’s very unlikely to happen with Tarasenko. He’s not going to Iowa. And we’re not quite there yet where the Wild would consider putting him on waivers. But I can see where you’re coming from, with how well Hinostroza and Yurov are playing. They don’t deserve to come out. It feels like a different team with their speed.
Tarasenko hasn’t been as productive as the Wild hoped he would be, with just one even-strength goal in 18 games (two total). It’s not like everyone thought Tarasenko would score 30-plus again like he did with St. Louis, but 15 to 20 wasn’t unreasonable.
Not saying there will never be a point where Tarasenko is put on waivers or moved, but it’s not there now.
Russo: If Tarasenko doesn’t improve, I agree there will come a tipping point. The analytics are clear that he’s affected every line he’s been on negatively. Players’ underlying numbers are all better without him.
In light of the Wild’s continued struggles with faceoffs, has the team looked into retaining a specialty coach for that skill? Possibly Koivu? — Neil M.
Russo: Koivu is coaching in Finland right now, but unless it happens behind closed doors, I don’t understand why once in a while the team doesn’t tap into Mike Modano or Derek Stepan, who are both around. I’m with you.
If teams had a soundtrack for their season, what Trampled by Turtles song would you apply/assign to the Wild? — James L.
Russo: Always “Victory” and “Winners” in the regular season. Then, “Whiskey” in the playoffs because this franchise continues to “Wait so Long” for a Stanley Cup banner.