Kirill Kaprizov could've been the highest-paid NHL player if he had accepted the Minnesota Wild's rumored contract offer. However, the Russian superstar had no interest at this time in committing long-term to the organization.
“Sources say #mnwild superstar Kirill Kaprizov's camp turned down an extension offer,” Frank Seravalli reported on social media. “Believed to be 8-years, $128 million in a meeting on Tuesday in Minnesota that would have made him the highest-paid player in #NHL history in both AAV ($16 million) and total dollars.”
It's very possible that Connor McDavid would've eventually dethroned Kaprizov as the highest-paid player, at least in AAV. Nevertheless, it's shocking that Kaprizov had no interest in making an astronomical amount of money in NHL terms. The only explanation is that Kaprizov believes he is worth a lot more with the salary cap set to rise, or he doesn't want to stay in Minnesota.
It's an unfortunate twist in the Kaprizov negotiations for the Wild. He is the best player the Wild has had in the organization in quite some time, and it'd be a shame to lose him for nothing. Minnesota finally dug itself out of the hole they were in from the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter contracts in 2012, as the deals prevented them from fitting lucrative deals under the salary cap in the past. The timing was too good to be true for the Wild.
Kirill Kaprizov's denial of the contract leaves the Wild in a predicament. Letting him walk in the offseason for nothing would be disastrous for the franchise's future, as they aren't necessarily close to competing for a Stanley Cup now with him in the lineup. Losing him and gaining nothing in return would leave Bill Guerin in a difficult spot.
Will the Wild explore trading Kaprizov if it becomes clear that his future plans don't include Minnesota? Or will they ride it out and hope the superstar will change their mind?
