Kaprizov long-term contract 'focus' for Wild, owner says

Kirill Kaprizov can become an unrestricted free agent after next season, but the Minnesota Wild have every intention to sign their star player long term.

"He's going to be the focus of what we're going to do," owner Craig Leipold said Tuesday. "We plan to re-sign him. I will tell you nobody will offer more money than us, or longer (years), so all we have to do is prove to him that we want to win."

The 27-year-old forward led the Wild with 96 points (46 goals, 50 assists) in 75 games last season and has led them in points in each of his four NHL seasons. He won the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year in 2020-21 and has 330 points (tied for 12th in the NHL), and 160 goals (sixth) in 278 games since entering the League. He has 12 points (10 goals, two assists) in 19 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Kaprizov has two seasons remaining on a five-year, $45 million contract ($9 million average annual value) he signed Sept. 21, 2021. He can sign an eight-year contract with Minnesota as early as July 1, 2025; should he reach unrestricted free agency, he can sign a seven-year contract elsewhere.

The Wild (39-34-9) failed to qualify for the playoffs last season and are essentially returning the same roster, only signing depth forward Yakov Trenin to a four-year contract during the offseason.

"So, what does he want? He wants to win," Leipold said of Kaprizov. "So, we have to prove not only to him, but other UFAs that we also want to win. And we're used to winning and this is the ‘State of Hockey,’ and we're going to get back to the winning ways.

“We're going to get a perennial playoff team, but it does start with Kirill."

Minnesota also will get NHL salary cap relief after this season; forward Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter will only count $833,333 each per season against the cap as part of their buyouts, rather than the $7-plus million each this season.

"Next July 1 is going to be like Christmas," Leipold said. "We're going to have money available. We're going to have the resources available to do what we need to do to get back to Wild hockey, and we're looking forward to that. We look at who could be available next year. You're going to ask me, who are those players? I won't tell you."

Minnesota opens the regular season at home against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 10.

"That's what's been really impressive with him," Wild coach John Hynes said. "The No. 1 thing on his mind is winning. That to me is where you have an elite player in the League if he scores and we lose, he's not happy and that's what I respect about him the most is he truly has a desire to win. He wants to win every game. He wants to win every practice. He wants us to be a good team. He feels as a leader on the team and one of the top players on the team that he can do that by obviously driving offense and driving the identity and the way that we want to play but even if he does that and we don't win, it hurts him."

NHL.com independent correspondent Jessi Pierce contributed to this report