Wild Crush Kirill Kaprizov Extension

The Minnesota Wild and superstar forward Kirill Kaprizov agreed to a record-setting extension. The new deal will pay him $136 million over eight seasons, carrying an average annual value (AAV) of $17 million.

Kaprizov is now the Wild’s and the NHL’s highest paid player. He’s unlikely to hold the title of highest-paid player in the NHL for long, as fellow superstars like Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel negotiate their own contract extensions over the next few months, but in the interim, he’s then richest player in the league. While that might feel uncomfortable for some, this is a home run of a deal for Minnesota.

Franchise Cornerstone

The Wild have longed for a superstar to build around since Marion Gaborik departed the franchise nearly two decades ago. Kaprizov is that player in Minnesota, and the Wild couldn’t afford to let him walk in free agency next summer.

They are also a team that has languished in the middle of the league rankings for its entire existence. They’ve been a playoff team in 14 of the 24 seasons since the franchise began, but they’ve only advanced to the Western Conference Finals once, and they’ve never played in a Stanley Cup Finals.

Keeping Kaprizov for the next eight seasons might have cost a pretty penny, but it’s the cost of winning in the NHL. No team has won the Stanley Cup without having an elite forward who can carry the scoring burden in the biggest moments. Kaprizov may be expensive, but he’s the best option to lead Minnesota to the next step.