The Minnesota Wild had a quiet offseason despite losing in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They traded for Vladimir Tarasenko, traded away Frederick Gaudreau, and re-signed Marcus Johansson. With the Western Conference beefing up, Minnesota should have made more moves. The biggest move the Wild should have made this offseason was giving Kirill Kaprizov a new contract.
When July 1 landed, Kaprizov was eligible for a contract extension. His five-year, $9 million annual deal will end after the season with an incredible return on investment. Wild GM Bill Guerin has said he wants Kaprizov back, and the player wants to return as well. It may just be a matter of time, but there is no sense in letting this play out any longer.
Kaprizov is one of three impact forwards on pace to hit 2026 free agency. Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel are also expected to remain with their current teams. But those three guys will likely be among the highest-paid players in the NHL. While Kaprizov will be expensive regardless, the Wild should strive to finalize the deal before either of those contracts.
If the season starts without a Kaprizov extension, the Wild will take on a lot of risk. If their team is bad, the winger could change his mind and leave for free. And regardless of their record, Guerin's phone will be ringing off the hook with teams wanting to trade for him. To put all of those concerns to bed, they should lock the deal in now.
The Wild have already signed Matt Boldy and Brock Faber to long-term deals, and they have $9.4 million in cap space. Not all of that can go to Kaprizov, but they have the space to sign the deal.
What will the Kirill Kaprizov contract look like for the Wild?
The Wild do have to make sure they save space for their goaltenders and defensemen, David Jiricek and Zeev Buium. But with the salary cap exploding over the next three seasons, that should not be a problem. The buyout charges for Zach Parise and Ryan Suter are finally expiring, and the cap will be over $100 million next season.
Next offseason could be one of the greatest free-agency groups of all time. The likelihood of that happening is slim, especially considering the exploding salary cap. In 2025, many of the best players available stayed with their previous team instead of making it to July 1. Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, and Brock Boeser all stayed with their previous teams.
The Wild should not be the team that defies that trend. They have not had a lot of team success in their brief history, and they have never had a player with the high-end skill of Kaprizov stay for their entire career. Marian Gaborik left many years ago, and they cannot let Kaprizov walk as well.
The Wild also have to figure out their goaltending situation next offseason. Filip Gustavsson is entering the final year of his deal that pays him $3 million. One of the best deals in the league is expiring, and it could be the end of his time in Minnesota. Jesper Wallstedt is a former first-round pick and is waiting in the wings for his chance at the net. Will they keep Gustavsson on an expensive contract or put playoff aspirations in the youngsters' hands?
The Wild need to keep Kirill Kaprizov on the longest possible contract. He scored 100 points in 2023-24 and was on a Hart Trophy pace before an injury cut his 2024-25 season short. If he keeps that up for multiple years of his new contract, it will be a worthwhile investment. And he could be the greatest Wild player of all time by the time it ends.
