The Minnesota Wild have gotten out to a hot start with an 8-1-2 record through their first 11 games, and they sit second in the Central Division behind the Winnipeg Jets. It is an impressive start considering they are coming off of a brutal 2023-24 campaign where they missed the playoffs with a subpar 39-34-9 record. While they have had consistent production from some of their star forwards in Matthew Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek, and Mats Zuccarello, one of the biggest superstars in the NHL has continued to stand out in a big way and might be lining himself up for a monster contract extension. Kirill Kaprizov is coming off of a strong 96-point campaign last season and with the start he’s having this season, he could very well lead the league in points and be in the running for several awards.
Related: Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov Exceeding Lofty Expectations This Season
Kaprizov, who is 27 years old, is currently tied for the league lead in points with 21. With seven goals and 14 assists through their first 11 games, Kaprizov has established himself early as someone to watch when considering players for the MVP race. Something interesting to note though, is that his current contract expires after the 2025-26 season, and he will become an unrestricted free agent. With a current cap of $9 million, it’s fair to assume he will earn a massive pay raise on his next deal.
With that in mind, insider Elliotte Friedman was talking about Kaprizov’s upcoming extension talks and compared his next contract to Edmonton Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl who makes $14 million annually as the highest-paid player in the league, and Toronto Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews who makes $13.25 million annually. The difference between Draisaitl and Matthews is the terms of their respective contracts. Draisaitl locked in with the Oilers for eight years, while Matthews only signed a four-year extension with the Maple Leafs. Depending on what Kaprizov wants in terms of the length of his next deal, could increase or decrease how much money he gets paid annually. Either way, the Wild have made it clear they will pay him whatever he wants, and won’t let him hit the open market.
Kaprizov was drafted in the fifth round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft at 135th overall by the Wild after a solid season in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) with Metallurg Novokuznetsk where he scored four goals and added four assists for eight points through 31 games. The following season, he returned to Metallurg where he scored 11 goals and added 16 assists for 27 points through 53 points. Through 289 career NHL games, he has scored 167 goals and added 184 assists for 351 points which comes out to a 1.21 points-per-game average.
Kaprizov’s 2024-25 Campaign Could Justify Making Him Highest-Paid Player
Kaprizov has come out of the gates hot this season. While we have seen many players slow down as the season goes along in recent seasons, his proven consistency over the past several campaigns leads me to believe he won’t slow down. While I doubt he stays at almost a two-points-per-game average, he has a realistic shot at breaking the 110-point plateau. If he can maintain a strong season offensively and continues to play a sound defensive game, giving him a higher salary than Draisaitl makes perfect sense if the Wild want to keep him around.
Kaprizov hitting the open market seems very unlikely, but in the rare scenario that he does, almost every team in the NHL would try to clear cap space to make him a monster offer. I would predict he gets at least $14.25 million annually on his next contract and as far as term goes, I would guess he accepts a four to five-year contract and tries to take more money, similar to the Matthews deal. Time will tell what happens, but all signs point to Kaprizov earning one of, if not the biggest contract in NHL history.
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