Apr 20, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov (97) warms up before game one of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Wild Superstar Not Rushing Extension

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Jacob Punturi | Last updated Sep 20, 2025 9:00 AM ET

The Minnesota Wild and Kirill Kaprizov remain far off on a new contract. The superstar forward had been eligible to sign an extension since the offseason began, but the two sides haven’t found common ground as training camp kicked off.

While the lack of an extension may be worrisome, for the Wild forward it’s on the back burner now that the season is nearing. Kaprizov spoke to reporters after the team’s first day of camp, and he laid out how he feels. He made it clear that he loves the organization, but he just wants to focus on getting the Wild a Stanley Cup.

"You guys know I like Minny and everyone knows this," he said. "We have a lot of time [to sign]. It's just 2025 and it's one more year I have. I just want to play hockey and focus and win some games and go into [the Stanley Cup] Playoffs] and win there. Just focus on this now.”

Of course, that update comes after news broke that the Wild presented a massive offer to Kaprizov’s camp. That offer was reportedly worth $16 million annually for eight seasons, but was turned down. The team’s general manager, Bill Guerin, has continued to not comment on specifics regarding the negotiations, but he again asserted that retaining their superstar winger is the goal beyond the coming season.

“These negotiations are private," he said. "I can't really get into it. Things are fine. The most important thing is that we want to sign Kirill. He's our franchise player. We want to keep him here. He's a big part of our team. We're working toward that. We're doing the best we can. Hopefully we'll get there sooner than later.”

Now that camp is here and the regular season is just under a month from beginning, the Wild and Kaprizov are focused on trying to build on their 2024-2025 campaign. Kaprizov is trying more than anything to stay healthy after losing half of last year to a recurring lower-body injury. Still, in just 41 games he recorded 25 goals and 31 assists for 56 points and was firmly in the MVP conversation until injuries took over.

If he can stay healthy and the Wild are a playoff contender once again, it should only help Minnesota and Kaprizov find that common ground on an extension. As they figure things out, the superstar winger is remaining patient and in no rush to get his mega-deal done.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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