Kaprizov’s hot start for Wild fueled by playoff aspirations after missing out last season

CHICAGO – Kirill Kaprizov doesn’t have an explanation for it. The Minnesota Wild has had good starts in previous regular seasons, but nothing like this.

“This year it’s a little bit better,” Kaprizov told NHL.com before getting an assist in the Wild’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center on Sunday. “I don’t know. I just try to play hockey. I do nothing crazy. Just enjoy every day and just jump on the ice and have some fun.”

Kaprizov seems to be having a lot of fun. The 27-year-old has 28 points (nine goals, 19 assists) in 15 games, second in the NHL behind Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon with 29 points (seven goals, 22 assists) in 15 games.

His streak of eight straight multipoint road games (eight goals, 14 assists) ended against Chicago. It tied the longest streak by an active player with Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi (2021-22) and forward Steven Stamkos, who did it with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2017-18. Wayne Gretzky had nine straight multipoint road games in 1990-91 and set the longest streak (12 games) in 1986-87.

“Yeah, it’s been pretty incredible,” Blackhawks center Connor Bedard said. “I don’t know how many points he has, but he’s been one of the top guys in the League for a while. It feels like every year he takes another step. He’s one of the hardest guys to play against.”

Kaprizov has been a driving force for the Wild (10-2-3), who are looking to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after not qualifying last season. Not making the postseason for the first time in his NHL career provides motivation for Kaprizov.

“Usually when you play every year in playoffs and then boom, nothing happens in the postseason, you have a lot of months off and it’s not fun,” Kaprizov said. “You see how the other teams are playing in the playoffs and you’re already sitting on your coach and watching TV. It’s not fun. You want to be in the playoffs and try to win something.”

Kaprizov has been one of the League’s most productive players since making his debut in 2020-21, when he had 51 points (27 goals, 24 assists) in 55 games and won the Calder Trophy, awarded to the League’s top rookie. A fifth-round pick (No. 135) for the Wild in the 2015 NHL Draft, Kaprizov has 358 points (169 goals, 189 assists) in 293 games.

His starts have been pretty good in his NHL career. Last season he had 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) through his first 15 games. In 2022-23 he had 17 points (10 goals, seven assists) through his first 15. His lowest total through that stretch was 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in 2021-22.

So, is he at another level this season?

“Yeah. I mean, I don't know,” Wild forward Joel Eriksson Ek said. “I think he has had stretches before, too. I think sometimes the puck goes in and sometimes it doesn't, but he always works so hard to make those plays. I'm not really surprised.”

Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy said Kaprizov is “right up there with any superstar in the League, for sure.”

“He seems to be able to do it all. His playmaking and his scoring ability doesn’t have a one-dimensional part of him. Really good player. He’s tough and a workhorse and doesn’t seem to be fazed by physicality or anything like that.”

Proof of the unfazed aspect came in Kaprizov’s two games prior to Sunday. He took a puck to the mouth in a 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday. He lost a bottom middle tooth and got a few stitches above the left side of his upper lip, then got three assists in a 5-2 win against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, and two goals and an assist in a 5-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.

The scoring has always been there, but Kaprizov has improved in other areas, especially his play without the puck.

“He tracks and reloads when he doesn’t have it. He doesn’t hope and wait for a guy to make a defensive play and transition to offense,” Wild coach John Hynes said. “I think his awareness of game situations, time and score has grown, and I think that’s part of being not just an elite player in the League, but an elite player in the League that can help drive his team to play winning hockey.

“To me, you can see that coming more and more, that understanding of his impact on the game offensively but his impact to play both sides of the puck and what that does to galvanize a team on the importance of those things. He’s earned his way on to playing 5-on-6 situations. When the other team pulls their goalie, he’s out there in those situations. That’s because his play without the puck warrants him to play in those situations.”

Kaprizov said he’s been learning how to be better in that area from meetings and the coaching staff.

“I know in this League, if you want to win more games, you need to play without the puck, too, and help your teammates in the D-zone and backcheck and stuff like this,” he said. “It’s easy to play when everyone does all the same things in the D-zone.”

Kaprizov is having fun. So are the rest of the Wild. It’s been a good start for both, and they want to keep it going.

“When the team wins, it’s more fun in the locker room and outside everyone’s smiling more and just happy every day and not grumpy in the mornings. Like, ‘Oh, here you come again,’” Kaprizov said with a laugh.

“It’s everyday smile, have some fun, joke around. It’s nice. It’s easy to play when you have a lot of fun with your team and more wins are coming.”