NHL Rumors: Analyst quotes monstrous contract figure for 'irreplaceable' Kirill Kaprizov, exceeding Leon Draisaitl, Mitch Marner

Kirill Kaprizov, who was drafted 135th in 2015, could become the NHL’s highest-paid player once his current deal ends in 2026. According to Joe Smith and Michael Russo of The Athletic on Monday, the Minnesota Wild may offer him an eight-year, $120 million extension. That would carry a $15 million average annual value (AAV).

This number is higher than Leon Draisaitl’s $14 million AAV and Mitch Marner’s $12 million. Draisaitl signed his eight-year, $112 million deal with the Oilers in September 2024. Marner signed for $96 million over eight years with the Golden Knights after a trade on July 1.

Kaprizov’s current contract with the Wild is worth $45 million over five years and carries a $9 million cap hit. So far, Kaprizov hasn’t said much about contract talks this summer. In an interview in May, he said,

“We’ll see. I love everything here. It should be all good.”

Joe Smith and Michael Russo of The Athletic noted that it’s unclear if Kirill Kaprizov wants a long-term commitment or would rather sign a shorter deal. They also pointed out that the Wild need to think about how high they’re willing to go. The team sees Kaprizov as a must-keep player. As Joe Smith and Michael Russo wrote,

“He’s irreplaceable. So the price tag is going to be high.”

In 2024–25, he led the Wild with 56 points in the regular season. This is impressive, considering he only played 41 games, scoring 25 goals and had 31 assists, with a +19 rating. He also had five game-winning goals and averaged more than 22 minutes per game.

Wild GM focused on re-signing Kirill Kaprizov

In May, Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin said re-signing Kirill Kaprizov is the team’s top priority.

“My expectations are to get him signed,” Guerin said, via NHL.com.

He called Kaprizov a star and stressed the need to finish the deal soon. Guerin also repeated owner Craig Leipold’s message that no team can offer more years or money.

“Nobody can offer him more than we can... I’ll just say that I’m very confident we’re going to get a deal done with Kirill,” Guerin said.

He believes Kaprizov is happy in Minnesota and trusts the team. Kaprizov continued to produce in the playoffs, recording 5 goals and 4 assists in six games. He played more than 23 minutes per game in the series against Vegas and scored three power-play goals.

Right now, Kirill Kaprizov remains the Wild’s top offensive option and one of the most skilled forwards in the league.

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Edited by Alvin Amansec