Wild owner says Kaprizov contract likely to be biggest in NHL history

Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold is confident that the team will sign superstar Kirill Kaprizov to a contract extension before this offseason is over. He also expects that it may be the biggest contract in the history of the National Hockey League.

"This will be a huge deal — likely the biggest in the NHL ever," Leopold said, via Joe Smith of The Athletic.

The league's current most expensive contract, in terms of average annual value, was signed almost exactly a year ago by the Oilers' Leon Draisaitl. That was for $112 million over eight years ($14 million per year). In terms of total value, the record is still the 13-year, $124 million deal Alex Ovechkin signed in 2008 (a deal that worked out pretty well for the Capitals).

Smith's informed speculation is that "an eight-year deal with a $15 million or $16 million average annual value doesn’t seem like it’s out of the question" for Kaprizov and Minnesota. If it's the former, that would be $120 million over eight years, which would surpass Draisaitl. The latter, at $128 million, would pass Ovechkin as well.

The main talking point of this Wild offseason has been Kaprizov's contract situation, as the 28-year-old winger is heading into the final season of his previous five-year, $45 million deal. Throughout this whole process, the Wild have been confident that a deal will get done. But until Kaprizov puts pen to paper, fans will have some understandable anxiety about the possibility of losing the franchise's first true superstar.

Leipold doesn't sound worried. He believes that when Kaprizov comes back to Minnesota after spending his offseason in his native Russia — which is reportedly scheduled to happen within the next week — things might move quickly.

"I just feel like we're not that far off," Leipold said, via Smith. "I kind of think we're there. I like to believe when Kirill comes over 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."

Once Kaprizov arrives, he's expected to meet with general manager Bill Guerin, and Leipold sounds inclined to be part of that meeting as well.

"I think it will be a good conversation that we’ll have with him," he said. "I’m very anxious and looking forward to that conversation. I think we’ll move quickly after that."

The Wild are the only team eligible to offer Kaprizov an eight-year deal, which works in their favor. Leipold said last year that no team will offer him more money than they will. It'll just come down to the final numbers, as well as the team convincing Kaprizov that it's headed in the right direction in terms of contending for a Stanley Cup.

The Wild have lost their last eight first-round playoff series, but they came fairly close to snapping that streak during last season's six-game loss to the Golden Knights. Although their biggest additions of this offseason were depth pieces in Vladimir Tarasenko and Nico Sturm, they have plenty of talent and continuity on a roster that has been supplemented in recent years by emerging young players.

Leipold told Smith he likes this year's roster better than last year's, also noting that the Wild have the cap space to make an impact addition at the trade deadline.

Kaprizov is entering his sixth NHL season after debuting in January 2021. He's scored 185 goals and 386 total points in 319 regular season games. With 35 goals this season, he would pass Marian Gaborik as the Wild's all-time leader. He's also scored 15 goals in 25 career postseason contests.