Kirill Kaprizov leaving the Minnesota Wild? It seems insane, but what if?
Kaprizov is eligible for an extension, as his current deal expires at the end of the 2025-26 season, but the two sides have yet to agree on a new deal. There hasn’t been any indication that he is interested in testing the open market, but it’s always possible for him to do so, especially if he and the Wild can’t find even ground on a new deal. The belief is that the young superstar will become the highest-paid player in the NHL, at least temporarily until Connor McDavid inks his new extension, which could make things difficult for the Wild.
Related: Wild 2024-25 Report Cards: Kirill Kaprizov
Let’s assume in this article that the Wild and Kaprizov can’t find a way to get a new deal done, and the two teams are so far apart that the team considers trading him so that they don’t lose him for nothing. What would that look like? Well, two teams make sense to bring him in, and while the packages they’d have to move out to acquire him are massive, landing a player like him should make it a no-brainer.
Scenario One: Sharks Give Celebrini Superstar Teammate
Let’s keep in mind, this is hypothetical, so this idea sounds like a stretch, but that’s because it is.
If there is one team in the NHL that looks like it’s close to ready to fight its way out of the bottom, it’s the San Jose Sharks. They have one of the strongest prospect pools in the league, have the base of their core growing and becoming solid, and have the money to make a splash if they wanted to. At the moment, the moves they’ve made don’t make them look like contenders, but if Kaprizov becomes available, it wouldn’t be surprising if they took a swing.
They have the players and assets to pull off a deal, and while the Wild may not be interested in bringing on anybody who isn’t a young prospect or a proven NHL star, there is a strong possibility they’d be open to bringing back someone like Jeff Skinner, John Klingberg, or Dmitry Orlov if they have bounce back seasons and prove they can contribute at the NHL level. However, the rest of the trade package would be incredible.
Realistically, a trade likely looks like the Sharks acquiring Kaprizov in exchange for Shakir Mukhamadullin, Collin Graf, one of those veteran players like Orlov, Skinner, or Klingberg, a 2026 first-round pick, and a 2027 first-round pick, and yes, the Sharks have more than enough money to make Kaprizov the highest-paid player in the league on his next contract.
Scenario Two: Senators Make a Splash & Go All-in
Here’s another crazy idea: the Ottawa Senators come out of nowhere and make an incredible offer for Kaprizov, and become championship contenders.
They have the money to make an extension work, but they’d have to move out a little bit of money to make any type of trade work. They currently have just under $4.3 million in cap space, and with Kaprizov’s $9 million cap hit, they would need to move out at least $4.7 million, since the Wild likely wouldn’t be willing to retain any money.
Realistically, moving out Drake Batherson makes the money work, and at that point, they just need to attach the future assets to convince the Wild to make the deal. In a deal, the Senators acquire Kaprizov in exchange for Batherson, Xavier Bourgault, Lassi Thomson, their 2027 first-round pick, and their 2028 second-round pick.
These are both massive deals that only ever come close to fruition in a world where the Wild can’t re-sign Kaprizov. Surely, some other teams would be in on him if they’re trying to contend, even if he is a rental asset, but these two teams have the money to make him the highest-paid player in the league, and that could be enticing, especially considering both of them do have promising futures ahead of them.
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Salary cap data courtesy of PuckPedia.
