In today’s NHL rumors rundown, Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin admitted that the team had little choice but to overpay for Kirill Kaprizov. Meanwhile, is Cale Makar going to be the next player to make a ridiculous amount of money and shake up the NHL salary landscape? Finally, did the Edmonton Oilers offer Jack Roslovic a bigger deal before he ultimately circled back and accepted a one-year deal worth $1.5 million?
Wild Know They Overpaid for Kaprizov
Seeing as fans were criticizing the general manager for his overpayment of Kirill Kaprizov, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun spoke with Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin following Jack Eichel’s $13.5 million signing. Guerin emphasized that each market operates differently, noting that paying Kaprizov $17 million per season was worth it to ensure the star stayed in Minnesota.
He said that the Wild were at risk of losing the player, and instead of trying to find a replacement, they gave in and paid Kaprizov what he could get in their market.
LeBrun said that Guerin told him they have absolutely no regrets about committing $17 million annually to Kaprizov. There might be potential friction between some of the players in the locker room, especially when you consider what their other core players are making: Matt Boldy at $7 million, Joel Eriksson Ek at $5.25 million, and Brock Faber at $8.5 million.
Makar Could Be Next NHL “Nuclear Explosion”
Elliotte Friedman said on a recent 32 Thoughts podcast: “Now that Kaprizov and [Connor] McDavid are done, all eyes are on Cale Makar as the next potential nuclear explosion.” He added that Colorado has been preparing for it, and may just hand him a blank cheque.” Makar is a Norris Trophy winner, Stanley Cup Champion, and potential Hart Trophy candidate. He’s arguably the best defenseman in the NHL and he’s going to command top dollar.
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Friedman also notes Vancouver’s Quinn Hughes as another young defenseman who could reach elite salary levels, while other prospects like Connor Bedard, Macklin Celebrini, and Logan Cooley are positioned for major deals.
Sources Deny Bigger Roslovic Offer From Oilers
Jack Roslovic’s signing with the Edmonton Oilers has become one of the season’s early storylines, but reports of a larger offer from Edmonton before he accepted a smaller deal have been exaggerated.
Some sources suggested the Oilers initially offered Roslovic a three-year, $4 million-per-season deal, but Elliotte Friedman confirmed via a trusted source that no such offer existed. I also asked Stan Bowman directly if there was ever anything beyond a one-year deal on the table, and he responded, “Just the one year.”
While that doesn’t necessarily mean the Oilers and Roslovic never discussed other options, the Oilers knew they had little money to spend, which is one reason Roslovic went unsigned for so long. He ultimately returned to Edmonton and agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million contract, which was announced publicly before many Oilers players even knew. Friedman noted that a few Oilers were taken aback when they found out on the scoreboard during the game on Wednesday that Edmonton had signed the forward.
The signing gives Roslovic a chance to reestablish himself, while Edmonton must now work to figure out its roster situation. The team placed defenseman Jake Walman on injured reserve, which will buy them some time. However, when Walman and Mattias Janmark are healthy, someone has to go down as the Oilers will have too many players on their roster.
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