Premier left winger Kirill Kaprizov reportedly declined a contract extension spanning eight years and worth $128 million from the Minnesota Wild this past Tuesday, as reported by NHL correspondent Frank Seravalli. Had Kaprizov accepted, the contract would have recognized him as the highest-earning athlete in NHL history concerning both the average yearly value ($16 million) and the comprehensive sum.
Kaprizov is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent and has been able to negotiate a contract extension with Minnesota from the first of July. Leon Draisaitl, a star for the Edmonton Oilers, is currently the NHL’s best-paid player, boasting a $14.0 million annual cap impact.
Kaprizov is set to begin the final year of his five-year, $45 million agreement, which he signed in 2021, in the upcoming season. His existing contract comes with a comprehensive no-movement provision.
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The Wild’s prominent player accumulated 56 points (25 goals, 31 assists) in the 2024-25 season but was absent for 41 games as a result of a lower-body injury. Prior to his injury-affected 2024-25 season, the Wild star had achieved three successive 40-goal seasons, notably a career-high 47 goals in 2021-22.
The Russian attacker has grown to become one of the NHL’s most impressive goal-scoring athletes since his debut in 2020. Kaprizov, selected in the fifth round of the 2015 NHL Draft, secured the Calder Trophy as the league’s best rookie in 2020-21 and has featured in three NHL All-Star Games.
Should Kaprizov not agree to a contract extension with Minnesota, he would emerge as one of the league’s most desired free agents during the next summer period. The 2026 free agency period could potentially be the most star-filled in the league’s chronicles, including Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, Vegas Golden Knights’ Jack Eichel, Winnipeg Jets’ Kyle Connor, and Los Angeles Kings’ Adrian Kempe.
