{"id":146314,"date":"2025-09-10T10:41:04","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T10:41:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/146314\/"},"modified":"2025-09-10T10:41:04","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T10:41:04","slug":"matt-boldy-on-kirill-kaprizovs-contract-his-big-postseason-and-striving-to-be-an-olympian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/146314\/","title":{"rendered":"Matt Boldy on Kirill Kaprizov\u2019s contract, his big postseason and striving to be an Olympian"},"content":{"rendered":"

LAS VEGAS \u2014 You can bet not every teammate will be as respectful as Matt Boldy will be when Kirill Kaprizov walks into the dressing room for his first captain\u2019s practice this week. You just know ultimate chirper Marcus Foligno, for one, will be asking the Minnesota Wild superstar early and often whether he has extended his contract yet and will do everything in his power to persuade him to sign on the dotted line already.<\/p>\n

But Boldy won\u2019t join that party now that Kaprizov is back in Minnesota.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s none of my business,\u201d Boldy said Tuesday at the NHL media tour. \u201cAs much as I want him on our team and would do anything to have him stay here and sign for eight more years, it\u2019s not up to me. I have no say in it. So for me to sit there and worry about it, I feel like it\u2019s a little bit of a waste of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Wild, of course, are worried about it, which is why president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Guerin plans to meet with Kaprizov face to face, something that may have happened as early as Tuesday. After spending the weekend in New York attending the U.S. Open, Kaprizov has arrived back in the Twin Cities, accompanied by his agent, Paul Theofanous. Guerin and Theofanous met up Tuesday, league sources say, as the Wild have made no secret that they\u2019re willing to back up the Brink\u2019s truck for the three-time 40-goal scorer who is entering the final year of a five-year, $45 million contract signed on the eve of training camp four years ago.<\/p>\n

If Kaprizov is willing to sign for max term, this could be the richest contract in NHL history if the Wild make an offer in the $16 million range, which is possible, league sources say. Wild owner Craig Leipold also said last week he feels the team is right there and this will be a groundbreaking contract.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, we want him in Minnesota and to sign his contract and be here and locked up,\u201d Boldy said. \u201cHe just got back to Minnesota today. So, yeah, I\u2019m sure those conversations are going to start to happen. And a lot of times, those conversations are a lot easier to have (face to face).\u201d<\/p>\n

Matt Boldy on Kirill Kaprizov: \u201cWe want him in Minnesota and to sign his contract and be here and locked up,\u201d but he adds it\u2019s none of his business and \u201cnot up to me.\u201d pic.twitter.com\/uh2pnLYSqg<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) September 9, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Boldy, for one, was willing to commit to Minnesota by signing a seven-year, $49 million contract two years ago. After seeing his point total increase from 63 to 69 to a career-high 73 points last season and a tremendous five-goal, 7-point first-round playoff berth against the Vegas Golden Knights, that contract is starting to look like a bargain. Asked why he believed so much in the Wild\u2019s future and whether he thinks that, too, could sway Kaprizov into believing he can win long-term in Minnesota, Boldy said: \u201cI love it in Minnesota. I think the fans we have, the group of guys we have, how much we care about each other and how close we are, it\u2019s big. And then you got Billy in charge, who I think does a great job not only getting guys but holding guys accountable and playing to the best of their abilities.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot a lot of times your GM has scored as many goals and won as many games and Cups as Billy has. So to have someone like that on your side, I think, is huge. And I think the more you kind of surround yourself with people like that, the better off you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

After making appreciable steps the past three years and coming off an outstanding postseason, Boldy is looking to be leaned on more this season. We\u2019ve seen him play well with Kaprizov, but coach John Hynes indicated he might start Boldy in training camp at left wing on a line with Marco Rossi and newcomer Vladimir Tarasenko, who is trying to resurrect his once-star status after declining production the past three years. The Wild are hoping a gamble of assuming the final year of his $4.75 million-a-year contract by trading the Detroit Red Wings absolutely nothing for him will pay off.<\/p>\n

Boldy, 24, says he has skated with Tarasenko, 33, a handful of times this summer already and called him a \u201cgifted scorer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe way he shoots the puck is insane,\u201d Boldy said. \u201cSo, yes, definitely something to look forward to. You never really know what\u2019s gonna happen or the situations or pairings that you\u2019re gonna show up and Day 1 of camp\u2019s gonna be and stuff. We definitely have a handful of guys that I\u2019d love to play. That\u2019s not really something that I stress out too much about.\u201d<\/p>\n

This could be a big year for Boldy, who wants to be an Olympian after cracking the hard-to-make 4 Nations Face-Off roster last winter and performing well. Even though Guerin doubles as the GM for USA Hockey\u2019s Olympic team, Boldy\u2019s taking nothing for granted, not after seeing how many incredible players were among the 44 invited to last month\u2019s U.S. Olympic orientation camp in Michigan.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would do anything to be part of that team,\u201d Boldy said.<\/p>\n

But he says his sole focus is getting off to a good start to the season and helping the Wild make the playoffs after needing a final goal by Joel Eriksson Ek in the waning seconds of regulation in last year\u2019s finale to earn a playoff berth.<\/p>\n

Boldy said it was an empty feeling after the Wild, who haven\u2019t gotten past the first round in a decade, lost in Round 1 last season to Vegas.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought we played really well. \u2026 I mean, leaps and bounds as a team (from) how we played in my first two playoff series,\u201d Boldy said. \u201cSo, to play as well as we did and not come out on top, yeah, it stung. I thought we made changes that we had to. I thought everyone played good. Those two overtime games, those sting. You get one of those, you never know what happens. So, I thought we played great, but yeah, it sucks. You never want to lose. I think everyone would say that. It definitely was a driver for the summer.\u201d<\/p>\n

And individually, Boldy wants to continue his trajectory toward better consistency and star status.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to keep getting better, keep being a bigger impact every year,\u201d he said. \u201cPart of that is more situations, leaned on more, expected more of. For me, that\u2019s the sign of a good player, someone that the coach can look at you in any situation, be confident in you. I\u2019ve been on the ice a lot, skating with a bunch of guys from the team and other guys that are in Minnesota. I want to make the next step \u2014 and other than points, being relied upon. In every situation, I want my name to be called.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an honor to be on the ice when you\u2019re down a goal and there\u2019s a minute left and you have the puck. It\u2019s a privilege being out there and wanting the puck and being a guy that\u2019s going to have it. I think if I was on the bench and not out there in those situations, I wouldn\u2019t be very happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

(Photo: Steph Chambers \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n