Kirill Kaprizov just turned down what would have been the biggest contract in NHL history. The Minnesota Wild offered their superstar winger an eight-year deal worth $128 million – and he said no.
The $16 million per year would’ve shattered the current NHL salary record, held by Leon Draisaitl at $14 million.
It’s the first real sign that Kaprizov might be thinking about leaving Minnesota when his contract expires. Until now, the Wild’s front office has been super confident about keeping their 28-year-old scoring machine.
They’ve been willing to let Kaprizov basically write his own ticket, as long as he stayed for at least five years.
But here’s the thing – nobody expected he’d want more than $16 million a year. If he’s looking for something closer to the league maximum of $19.1 million, that’s a whole different ballgame.
Before anyone panics though, these talks just started. Kaprizov only got back to Minnesota for training camp a few days ago.
We don’t even know why he turned down the offer. Maybe he wants different bonus terms, or trade protection, or just a shorter contract so he can cash in again in his early 30s.
Sure, the Wild haven’t won a playoff series since Kaprizov joined the team. But it’s way too early to say he’s definitely leaving.
The big question is how much above market value Minnesota’s willing to pay. Kaprizov’s amazing, but his stats don’t quite match up with other guys making huge money. He’s never scored 50 goals in a season, only hit 100 points once, and hasn’t been a top-5 MVP candidate.
Some number crunchers think he’s worth closer to $14 million, even with the salary cap going up to $104 million next year.
Since joining the NHL in 2020, Kaprizov has put up 386 points in 319 games – good for 15th in the league. His 1.21 points per game ranks 10th.
For comparison? Connor McDavid, who’s also looking at a new contract around $16 million, has scored 224 more points than Kaprizov over the same period.
