Kirill Kaprizov Contract Buzz Sparks Response From Wild Teammates

Added Foligno: “He doesn’t get fazed by that (contract speculation) stuff. I’m sure he gets tired of talking about it.

“He doesn’t need the lights or all that stuff. He’s Kirill, man. He’s low-maintenance. He’s excited to be here. He loves everything about Minnesota. He loves the guys, and we love him. I’m sure it’ll work out for everyone.”

The Wild’s front office, led by general manager Bill Guerin, has pushed back on the speculation that Kaprizov turned down an eight-year, $128 million offer, as first reported by Frank Seravalli.

“We can cut to the chase. Look, I don’t know where this stuff comes from,” Guerin said. “I know two things: That info didn’t come from us, and it didn’t come from Kirill’s agent. I don’t know where it came from.”

Previously, owner Craig Leipold admitted both sides remained a bit apart, but claimed to have Kaprizov's new deal "in [his] pocket."

“I just feel like we’re not that far off (a contract agreement),” Leipold said. “I kind of think we’re there. I like to believe when Kirill comes (back to the U.S.) and gets a sense again for the excitement and the love of the city, I think we’ll be moving forward in a good direction.”

Wild captain Spurgeon echoed Foligno's outlook, describing the situation as routine business.

“It’s the business side of things,” Spurgeon said. “It’s up to Bill Guerin and him to go through that stuff. It doesn’t affect us. Everyone goes through it in their career. And everyone has those years where you’re coming into a contract negotiation. We’d love to have him here as long as he wants.”

Kaprizov missed half of last year's regular season, appearing in only 41 games but still scoring 56 points for the Wild. He also appeared in six postseason games, scoring nine more points with Minnesota.