In today’s NHL rumors rundown, Kirill Kaprizov has signed the richest contract in NHL history. How did the deal come together, and what happened to get these two sides on the right track? Meanwhile, J.T. Miller went down in practice on Monday and appeared to be injured. Will he miss any time? Finally, is Max Pacioretty hanging up his skates and retiring from the NHL?
Kaprizov Signs $136 Million Extension with the Wild
Details are surfacing regarding the record-setting NHL deal Kirill Kaprizov signed on Tuesday with the Minnesota Wild. Michael Russo of The Athletic is reporting that the structure of the deal is groundbreaking.
He writes:
“Even though the contract starts in 2026-27, the max that Kaprizov could have gotten annually was $19.1 million, 20 percent of the 2025-26 salary cap ceiling of $95.5 million, because that’s the signing year. The Wild gave him that in salary and signing bonuses in each of his first four years, league sources told The Athletic.”
source – ‘Wild extend Kirill Kaprizov with 8-year, $136 million deal — NHL’s richest ever’ – MIchael Russo and Joe Smith – The Atheltic – 09-30-2025
Kaprizov will earn a $1 million salary in each of the eight years, with July 1 signing bonuses starting in 2026 of $18.1 million until 2023. At that point, it will drop to $16 million, $14.2 million, $12.7 million, and $12.7 million. The deal also includes a full no-move clause.
Russo adds, “They weren’t inclined to negotiate against themselves and raise their offer, but league sources said they eventually did in the past couple of days.” There was also a sense that Aleksander Barkov’s injury might have prompted Kaprizov to reconsider, knowing that anything can happen to anyone at any time. That was a risk no one wanted to take.
Reports are that the Wild were willing to go to $17 million because they felt they had to get this done. Kaprizov means everything to that market, and his extension could also help the Wild court other free agents.
In other Wild-related news, the team officially announced that Mats Zuccarello will miss up to two months with a lower-body surgery.
J.T. Miller Fine After Injury Scare
According to Vince Mercogliano and sources like Larry Brooks of the New York Post, the New York Rangers and forward J.T. Miller might have dodged a serious bullet on Monday. Mercogliano reports, “Sounds like the New York Rangers avoided anything serious with JT Miller.” “There’s even hope he may practice tomorrow,” he added in a social media post on Monday.
Related: 4 Takeaways From Rangers 3-2 OT Win Over the Islanders
The Rangers’ new captain left Monday’s practice at the MSG Training Center after reaching for a puck and tweaking something. He went down and took a minute to get up, wincing in pain and eventually skating off with what appeared to be a non-contact lower-body injury. There was immediate concern when he didn’t return, but reports indicated he was OK after some time.
Max Pacioretty Reportedly Retiring
It appears former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Max Pacioretty is retiring from the NHL. According to analyst Nick Alberga, Pacioretty “appears to be hanging up his skates” and has taken on a role with the University of Michigan.
There was also speculation that trade talks are still happening in Toronto. Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects is reporting that the Maple Leafs are shopping forward Nick Robertson. In his report, he mentioned the San Jose Sharks are one of the teams interested.
Hurricanes Release Two From PTOs
The Carolina Hurricanes have released Oliver Kylington and Kevin Labanc from their professional tryouts. This may come as a surprise to some, and one has to wonder what this means for someone like Kylington going forward. His exit from Calgary was newsworthy, and he arguably hasn’t been the same player since he took some time away from the game.
Sign up for our FREE Daily NHL News & Rumors Substack newsletter
