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'Nothing to gain, everything to lose': Wild owner won’t address Kaprizov talks

Originally posted on Bring Me The News | By Joe Nelson | Last updated Sep 26, 2025 7:35 AM ET

Before Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold held his annual preseason chat with reporters during a game between the Wild and Stars in St. Paul Thursday night, Michael Russo reports that local media were informed that Leipold was not going to discuss Kirill Kaprizov's contract situation.

That didn't stop local reporters from asking about Kaprizov, who is entering the final year of his contract with Minnesota and has allegedly already turned down a record-breaking offer from the Wild that would've paid him $128 million over eight years.

“I said I wasn’t going to talk about Kirill,” Leipold said when asked about Kaprizov, according to Russo, with Jess Myers of the Pioneer Press reporting that Leipold added, "I really am serious. There's nothing to gain, everything to lose. I'm not touching this."

Per Judd Zulgad's Substack, Leipold was told that his refusal to talk about Kaprizov's contract would generate concern from fans, the owner said: "Then they’ll be disappointed, but you guys will report it very nicely and I won’t be damaged too bad."

The Wild open the regular season in two weeks: Oct. 9 at St. Louis. If Kaprizov isn't signed to an extension by then, the odds of him being traded would seemingly increase substantially considering the Wild can't risk losing him for nothing.

Complicating the situation is Kaprizov's injury history. While he missed some time due to a variety of injuries from 2020 to 2023, a lower-body injury that required surgery knocked him out of action for 41 of 82 games last season. If he gets injured again, his trade value could plummet and leave the Wild in a vulnerable position.

That said, all major reports thus far indicate that Minnesota is not considering a trade. Plus, Kaprizov has a full no-move clause in his contract, giving him all the power.

The holdup could be due to a number of things, including Kaprizov being one of a handful of superstars waiting for the market to be reset with a massive contract. Edmonton's Connor McDavid, Vegas' Jack Eichel, and Winnipeg's Kyle Connor are among the stars entering the final year of their respective deals.

It's also possible Kaprizov's agent is playing hardball and trying to squeeze more money out of Leipold and the Wild. If that's the case, it's a risky move considering Kaprizov played 21 minutes in Thursday night's preseason game — an example of a player taking unnecessary injury risk when record-breaking money is on the table.

The other possibility — the worst-case scenario for Wild fans — is that Kaprizov just doesn't want to stay in Minnesota for the long haul. Maybe he's willing to play out the final year of his contract with the Wild and test free agency when he's eligible on July 1, 2026.

Kaprizov has said he loves Minnesota, but would he love Chicago or New York more?

If Leipold knows the answers to these questions, he's not telling. At least not yet.

This article first appeared on Bring Me The News and was syndicated with permission.

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